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ENGLISH  CLASSIC  SERIES. 


AN  ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


BY 


Alexander  Pope. 


Biographical  and  Explanatory  Notes,  including 
Clarke’s  Grammatical  Notes. 


NEW  YORK: 

Maynard,  Merrill,  & Co,, 

29, 31,  AND  33  East  Nineteenth  Street. 


ALEXANDER  POPE 


ALEXANDER  POPE. 


This  eminent  English  poet  was  born  in  London.  May  2i,  1688. 
His  parents  were  Roman  Catholics,  and  to  this  faith  the  poet 
adhered,  thus  debarring  himself  from  public  office  and  employ, 
ment.  His  father,  a linen-merchant,  having  saved  a moderate 
competency,  withdrew  from  business,  and  settled  on  a small  estate 
he  had  purchased  in  Windsor  Forest.  He  died  at  Chiswick,  in 
1717.  His  son  shortly  afterwards  took  a long  lease  of  a house  and 
five  acres  of  land  at  Twickenham,  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames, 
whhher  he  retired  with  his  widowed  mother,  to  whom  he  was  ten- 
derly attached,  and  where  he  resided  till  death,  cultivating  his  little 
domain  with  exquisite  taste  and  skill,  and  embellishing  it  with  a 
grotto,  lemple,  wilderness,  and  other  adjuncts  poetical  and  pictur- 
esque. In  this  famous  villa  Pope  was  visited  by  the  most  celebrated 
wits,  statesmen,  and  beauties  of  the  day,  himself  being  the  most 
popular  and  successful  poet  of  his  age.  His  early  years  were  spent 
at  Binfield,  within  the  range  of  the  Royal  Forest.  He  received 
some  education  at  little  Catholic  schools,  but  was  his  own  instruc- 
tor after  his  twelfth  year.  He  never  was  a profound  or  accurate 
scholar,  but  he  read  Latin  poets  with  ease  and  delight,  and  acquired 
some  Greek,  French,  and  Italian.  He  was  a poet  almost  from  in- 
fancy ; he  “lisped  in  numbers,”  and  when  a mere  youth  surpassed 
all  his  contemporaries  in  metrical  harmony  and  correctness.  His 
pastorals  and  some  translations  appeared  in  1709  ; but  were  writ- 
ten three  or  four  years  earlier.  These  were  followed  by  the  Essay 
on  Criticism,  1711  ; Rape  of  the  Lock  (when  completed,  the  most 
graceful,  airy,  and  imaginative  of  his  works),  1 712-17 14  ; Windsor 
Forest,  1713  ; Temple  of  Fame,  1715.  In  a collection  of  his  works 
printed  in  1717  he  included  the  Epistle  of  Eloisa  and  Elegy  on  an 
Unfortunate  Lady,  two  poems  inimitable  for  pathetic  beauty  and 
finished  melodious  versification. 


4 


Alexander  Pope. 


From  1715  till  1726  Pope  was  chiefly  engaged  on  his  transla- 
tions of  the  Iliad  and  Odyssey y which,  though  wanting  in  true  Ho- 
meric simplicity,  naturalness,  and  grandeur,  are  splendid  poems. 
In  1728-29  he  published  his  greatest  satire — the  Dunciady  an  at* 
tack  on  all  poetasters  and  pretended  wits,  and  or  all  other  persons 
against  whom  the  sensitive  poet  had  conceived  any  enmity.  In 
1737  he  gave  to  the  world  a volume  of  his  Literary  Correspondence y 
containing  some  pleasant  gossip  and  observations,  with  choice 
passages  of  description  ; but  it  appears  that  the  correspondence 
was  manufactured  for  publication  not  composed  of  actual  letters 
addressed  to  the  parties  whose  names  are  given,  and  the  collec- 
tion was  introduced  to  the  public  by  means  of  an  elaborate  strata- 
gem on  the  part  of  the  scheming  poet.  Between  the  years  1731 
and  1 739 he  issued  a series  of  poetical  essays,  moral  and  philosoph- 
ical, with  satires  and  imitations  of  Horace,  all  admirable  for 
sense,  wit,  spirit,  and  brilliancy.  Of  these  delightful  productions, 
the  most  celebrated  is  the  Essay  on  Many  to  which  Bolingbroke  is 
believed  to  have  contributed  the  spurious  philosophy  and  false  sen- 
timent ; but  its  merit  consists  in  detached  passages,  descriptions, 
and  pictures.  A fourth  book  to  the  Diinciady  containing  many 
beautiful  and  striking  lines,  and  a general  revision  of  his  works, 
closed  the  poet’s  literary  cares  and  toils.  He  died  on  the  30th 
of  May,  1744,  and  was  buried  in  the  church  at  Twickenham. 

Pope  was  of  very  diminutive  stature,  and  deformed  from  his  birth. 
H is  physical  infirmity,  susceptible  temperament,  and  incessant 
study  rendered  his  life  '‘one  long  disease.”  He  was,  as  his  friend 
Lord  Chesterfield  said,  “ die  most  irritabl^-of  alljthe  genus  irritabile 
vatuniy  offended  with  trifles,  and  never  forgetting  or  forgiving 
them.”  His  literary  stratagems,  disguises,  assertions, '"flenials, 
and  (we  must  add)  misrepresentations  would  fill  volumes.  Yet 
when  no  disturbing  jealousy,  vanity,  or  rivalry  intervened,  was 
generous  and  affectionate,  and  he  had  a manly,  independent  spirit. 
As  a poet  he  was  deficient  in  originality  and  creative  power,  and 
thus  was  inferior  to  his  prototype,  Dryden  ; but  as  a literary  artist, 
and  brilliant  declaimer,  satirist,  and  moralizer  in  verse,  he  is  stiif 
unrivaled.  He  is  the  English  Horace,  and  will  as  surely  descend 
with  honors  to  the  latest  posterity. 


CRITICAL  INTRODUCTION, 


The  question  whether  Pope  was  a poet  has  hardly  yet  been 
settled,  and  is  hardly  worth  settling;  for  if  he  was  not  a great 
poet  he  must  have  been  a great  prose  writer — that  is,  he  was  a 
great  writer  of  some  sort.  He  was  a man  of  exquisite  faculties 
and  of  the  most  refined  taste;  and  as  he  chose  verse  (the  most  ob- 
vious distinction  of  poetry)  as  the  vehicle  to  express  his  ideas,  he 
has  generally  passed  for  a poet,  and  a good  one.  If,  indeed,  by  a 
great  poet  we  mean  one  who  gives  the  utmost  grandeur  to  our 
conceptions  of  nature,  or  the  utmost  force  to  the  passions  of  the 
heart.  Pope  was  not,  in  this  sense,  a great  poet;  for  the  best,  the 
characteristic  power  of  his  mind  lay  the  clean  conTraxyT^^ — 
namely,  in  presenting  things  as  they  appear  to  the  indifferent  ob- 
server ,~^tfipped  of  "prejudice  and  passion.  * * * 

He  wa^  not,  then,  distinguished  as  a poet  of  lofj^  enthusiasm 
of  strong  imagination,  with  a passionate  sense  of  the  beauties  of 
nature,  or  a deep  insight  into  the  workings  of  the  heart;  but  he 
was  a wit,  a critic,  and  a man  of  sense,  of  observation,  and  of  the 
world;  with  a keen  relish  for  the  elegancies  of  art,  or  of  nature 
when  embellished  by  art;  a quick  tact  for  propriety  of  thought 
and  manners,  as  established  by  the  forms  and  customs  of  society; 
refined  sympathy  with  the  sentiments  and  habitudes  of  human 
life  as  he  felt  them  within  the  little  circle  of  his  family  and 
friends. 

Pope  saw  nature  only  dressed  by  art;  he  judged  of  beauty  by 
fashion;  he  sought  for  truth  in  the  opinions  of  the  world;  he 
judged  of  the  feelings  of  others  by  his  own. — Thomas  De  Qctin- 

CEY. 

Pope  is  not  only  the  foremost  literary  figure  of  his  age,  but  the 
representative  man  of  a system  or  style  of  writing  which  for  a 
hundred  years  before  and  after  him  pervaded  English  poetry. 


6 


CRITICAL  INTRODIJCTION. 


The  writers  in  this  style  are  sometimes  spoken  of  as  the  school 
of  Pope/'  But  the  title  is  a misnomer.  A school  coexists  along 
with  other  schools  from  v/hich  it  is  distinguished  by  some  special 
characteristics;  all  the  contemporaneous  schools  taken  together 
bearing  the  common  and  more  general  stamp  of  their  age. 

During  the  period  which  extends,  speaking  roughly,  from  the 
Eestoration  to  the  French  Kevolution,  the  whole  of  English  liter- 
ary effort,  but  especially  poetical  effort,  has  one  aim  and  is 
governed  by  one  principle.  This  is  the  desire  to  attain  perfection 
of  form;  a sense  of  the  beauty  of  literary  composition  as  such. 
It  was  the  rise  within  the  vernacular  language  of  that  idea  w^hich, 
impregnating  the  Latin  language  as  written  and  spoken  in  the 
fifteenth  century,  had  produced  the  revived,  neolatin  literature  of 
the  Renaissance.  Pope  himself  (Sat.  and  Ep.  5),  in  describing 
this  “ Manner,"  spoke  of  it  as  French,  and  attributed  it  to  tne  imi- 
tation of  French  fashions  introduced  into  England  at  the  Restora- 
tion. 

“ We  conquer’d  France,  but  felt  our  captive’s  cnarms: 

Her  arts  victorious  triumph’d  o’er  our  aruiri; 

Britain  to  soft  refinements  less  a foe, 

Wit  grew  polite,  and  numbers  learn’ d to  flow.” 

A better  denomination  for  the  period  of  our  literature  which 
extends  from  the  Restoration  to  the  French  Revolution  is  “ the 
classical  period."  And  this  is  not  to  be  taken  to  mean  that  Eng- 
lish writers  now  imitated  the  Greek  and  Latin  writers,  or  con 
sciously  formed  themselves  upon  classical  models,  as  the  Latinists 
of  the  Renaissance  imitated  Cicero  and  Virgil.  English  writers 
had  begun  to  perceive  that  there  was  such  an  art  as  the  art  of 
writing;  that  it  was  not  enough  to  put  down  words  upon  paper 
anyhow,  provided  they  conveyed  j^our  meaning.  They  found 
that  sounds  were  capable  of  modulation,  and  that  pleasure  could 
be  given  by  the  arrangement  of  words,  as  well  as  instruction  con- 
veyed by  their  import.  The  public  ear  was  touched  by  this  new 
harmony,  and  began  imperatively  to  demand  its  satisfaction;  and 
from  that  moment  the  rude  volubility  of  the  older  time  seemed  to 
it  as  the  gabble  of  savages.  poem  was  no  longer  to  be  a story 
told  with  picturesque  imagery,  but  was  to  be  a composition  in. 
symmetry  and  keeping^  A thought  or  a feeling  was  not' to  be 
blurted  out  in  the  first  words  that  came,  but  was  to  be  matured  by 
reflection  and  reduced  to  its  simplest  expression.  Condensation, 


CEITICAL  INTRODUCTION. 


7 


terseness,  neatness,  finish — all  qualities  hitherto  unheard  of  in 
English — had  to  be  studied.  It  was  found  to  be  possible  to  please 
by  your  manner  as  wxll  as  by  your  matter.  And  having  been 
shown  to  be  possible,  it  became  necessary.  * * * 

Pope  at  once  took  the  lead  in  the  race  of  writers  because  he  took 
more  pains  than  they.  He  labored  day  and  night  to  form  him- 
self for  his  purpose,  that  of  becoming  a writer  of  finished  verse. 

To  improve  his  mind,  to  enlarge  his  view  of  the  world,  to  store 
up  knowledge — these  were  things  unknown  to  him.  Any  ideas, 
any  thoughts,  such  as  custom,  chance,  society,  or  sect  may  suggest, 
are  good  enough,  but  each  idea  must  be  turned  over  till  it  has 
been  reduced  to  its  neatest  and  most  epigrammatic  expression. 

Pope,  wherever  he  recedes  from  what  was  immediately  close  to 
him,  the  manners,  passions,  prejudices,  sentiments,  of  his  own 
day,  has  only  such  merit — little  enough — which  wit  divorced 
from  truth  can  have.  He  is  at  his  best  only  where  the  delicacies 
and  subtle  felicities  of  his  diction  are  employed  to  embody  some 
transient  phase  of  feeling.  * * * 

The  ;^s^ax  qn  Man  is  a didactic  or  argumentative  poem,  not  on 
man,  as  the  title  bears,  but  a theodicce  or  vindication  of  the  ways 
of  "Providence.  The  view  attempted  to  be  presented  is  that  of 
Leibnitzian  optimism;  the  end  of  the  universe  is  the  general  good 
of  the  whole;  it  was  impossible  to  realize  this  'without  admitting 
partial  evil.  Man  is  not  the  end  of  creation,  but  only  one  in  a 
graduated  scale  of  beings;  it  is  his  pride  which  leads  him  to  com- 
plain when  he  finds  that  everything  has  not  been  ordered  for  his 
benefit.  The  reasoning  of  the  Essay  on  Man  is  feeble,  the  phi- 
losophy either  trite  or  inconsistent,  or  obscure.  But  the  less  the 
intrinsic  value  of  the  argument,  the  more  is  our  admiration  ex- 
cited by  the  literary  skill  and  brilliant  execution  displayed  in  the 
management.  The  particular  illustrations,  the  episodes  and  side- 
lights, always  sparkle  with  wit,  and  are  sometimes  warm  with 
feeling,  when  the  main  thesis  is  jejune  and  frigid. — Bev.  Mark 
Pattison  in  Ward’s  ^"English  Poets.’* 


THE  DESIGN, 


Prefixed  in  1735,  when  Pope  inserted  the  Essay  on  Man  in  his  worTcs. 

Having  proposed  to  write  some  pieces  on  human  life  and  man- 
i ners,  such  as,  to  use  my  Lord  Bacon’s  expression,  come  home  to 
men’s  business  and  bosoms,  I thought  it  more  satisfactory  to 
begin  with  considering  man  in  the  abstract,  his  nature  and  his 
state;  since  to  prove  any  moral  duty,  to  enforce  any  moral  pre- 
cept, or  to  examine  the  perfection  or  imperfection  of  any  creature 
whatsoever,  it  is  necessary  first  to^knpw_what  condition  and  rela- 
tion it  is  placed  in,  and  what  is  the  proper  end  and  purpose  of  its 
being. 

^ The  science  of  human  nature  is,  like  all  other  sciences,  reduced 
to  a few  clear  points.  There  are  not  many  certain  truths  in  this 
world.  It  is  therefore  in  the  anatomy  of  the  mind  as  in  that  of 
the  body,  more  good  will  accrue  to  mankind  by  attending  to  the 
large,  open,  and  perceptible  parts,  than  by  studying  too  much 
such  finer  nerves  and  vessels,  the  conformations  and  uses  of  which 
will  for  ever  escape  our  observation.  The  disputes  are  all  upon 
these  last,  and,  I will  venture  to  say,  they  have  less  sharpened  the 
wits  than  the  hearts  of  men  against  each  other,  and  have  dimin- 
vished  the  practice  more  than  advanced  the  theory  of  morality. 
^ If  I could  fiatter  myself  that  this  essay  has  any  merit,  it  is  in 
steering  betwixt  the  extremes  of  doctrines  seemingly  opposite,  in 
passing  over  terms  utterly  unintelligible,  and  in  forming  a tem- 
perate, yet  not  inconsistent,  and  a short,  yet  not  imperfect,  system 
of  ethics. 

This  I might  have  done  in  prose;  but  I chose  verse,  and  even 
rhyme,  for  two  reasons.  The  one  will  appear  obvious;  that  prin- 
ciples, maxims,  or  precepts  so  written,  both  strike  the  reader  more 
j strongly  at  first,  and  are  more  easily  retained  by  him  afterwards. 
The  other  may  seem  odd,  but  is  true.  I found  I could  express 
them  more  shortly  this  way  than  in  prose  itself;  and  nothing  is 


10 


THE  DESIGN. 


more  certain,  than  that  much  of  the  force  as  well  as  grace  of 
arguments  or  instructions  depends  on  their  conciseness.  I was 
unable  to  treat  this  part  of  my  subject  more  in  detail,  without 
becoming  dry  and  tedious;  or  more  poetically,  without  sacrificing 
perspicuity  to  ornament,  without  wandering  from  the  precision, 
or  breaking  the  chain  of  reasoning.  If  any  man  can  unite  all 
these,  without  diminution  of  any  of  them,  I freely  confess  he  will 
compass  a thing  above  my  capacity.  _ | 

What  is  nx)w  published  is  only  to  be  considered  as  a genera.^ 
map  of  man,  marking  out  no  more  than  the  greater  parts,  their 
extent,  their  limits,  and  their  connection,  but  leaving  the  particu- 
lar to  be  more  fully  delineated  in  the  charts  which  are  to  follow. 
Consequently,  these  Epistles,  in  their  progress  (if  I have  health 
and  leisure  to  make  any  progress)  will  be  less  dry,  and  more  sus- 
ceptible of  poetical  ornament.  I am  here  only  opening  the  foun- 
tains, and  clearing  the  passage.  To  deduce  the  rivers,  to  follow 
them  in  their  course,  and  to  observe  their  effects,  may  be  a task 
more  agreeable. 


An  Essay  on  Man, 

IN  FOUR  EPISTLES 
TO 

HENRY  ST.  JOHN,  LORD  BOLINGBROKE. 


Written  in  the  Tear  1732. 


Argument  op  Epistle  I. 

OF  MAN  IN  THE  ABSTRACT. 

I.  That  we  can  judge  only  with  regard  to  our  own  system,  being  ignorant 
of  the  relations  of  systems  and  things,  verse  17,  etc.  II.  That  man  is  not  to 
be  deemed  imperfect,  but  a being  suited  to  his  place  and  rank  in  the  creation, 
"a^eeable  to  the  general  order  of  things,  and  conformable  to  ends  and  rela- 
tions to  him  unknown,  verse  35,  etc.  III.  That  it  is  partly  upon  his  igno- 
rance of  future  events,  and  partly  upon  the  hope  of  a future  state,  that  all 
his  happiness  in  the  present  depends,  verse  77,  etc.  IV.  The  pride  of  aim- 
ing at  more  knowledge,  and  pretending  to  more  perfection,  the  cause  of 
man’s  error  and  misery.  The  impiety  of  putting  himself  in  the  place  of 
God,  and  judging  the  fitness  or  unfitness,  perfection  or  imperfection,  justice 
or  injustice  of  His  dispensations,  verse  113,  etc.  V.  The  absurdity  of  con- 
ceiting himself  the  final  cause  of  the  creation,  or  expecting  that  perfection 
in  the  moral  world  which  is  not  in  the  natural,  verse  131,  etc.  VI.  The  im- 
reasonableness  of  his  complaints  against  Providence,  while  on  the  one  hand 
he  demands  the  perfections  of  the  angels,  and  on  the  other  the  bodily  qualifi- 
cations of  the  brutes ; though,  to  possess  any  of  the  sensitive  faculties  in  a 
higher  degree  would  render  him  miserable,  verse  173,  etc.  VII.  That 
throughout  the  whole  visible  world,  a universal  order  and  gradation  in  the 
sensual  and  mental  faculties  is  observed,  which  causes  a subordination  of 
creature  to  creature,  and  of  all  creatures  to  man.  The  gradations  of  sense, 
instinct,  thought,  reflection,  reason;  that  reason  alone  countervails  all  the 
other  faculties,  verse  207,  etc.  VIII.  How  much  farther  this  order  and  sub- 
ordination of  living  creatures  may  extend,  above  and  below  us;  were  any 
part  of  which  broken,  not  that  part  only,  but  the  whole  connected  creation, 
.must  be  destroyed,  verse  233,  etc.  IX.  The  extravagance,  madness,  and 
pride  of  such  a desire,  verse  259,  etc.  X.  The  consequence  of  aU,  the  abso- 
lute submission  due  to  Providence,  both  as  to  our  present  and  future  state, 
verse  281,  etc.,  to  the  end. 


12 


ESSAY  ON  MAN, 


Epistle  I. 

Awake,  my  St.  John  ! leave  all  meaner  things 
To  low  ambition  and  the  pride  of  kings, 
luet  us,  since  life  can  little  more  supply 
Than  just  to  look  about  us  and  to  die, 

Expatiate  free  o’er  all  this  scene  of  man;  | 

- A mighty  maze  ! but  not  without  a plan;  | 

A.  wild,  where  weeds  and  flowers  promiscuous  shoot;  • I 
Or  garden  tempting  with  forbidden  fruit.  » \ 

Together  let  us  beat  this  ample  fleld,  ♦ \ 

what  the  open,  what  the  covert  yield;  lo 

The  latent  tracts,  the  giddy  heights,  explore. 

Of  all  who  blindly  creep,  or  sightless  soar; 


I.  St.  John.— Henry  St.  John,  Viscount  Bolingbroke,  was  a Secretary  of 
5tate  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne.  On  the  accession  o’:  George  I.  he  ficd  to 
France,  to  avoid  a threatened  impeachment.  Being  pardoned  in  1723,  he  re- 
turned to  England,  where  he  enjoyed  the  society  of  Pope,  Swift,  and  otl  tf 
of  his  old  friends.  In  173.5  he  again  retired  to  France  for  seven  years.  The. 
matter  of  Bolingbroke’s  works  is  of  little  value,  owing  to  the  unsoundness' 
of  his  principles  both  in  religion  and  in  philosophy,  but  his  style  is  singularly' 
eloquent  and  highly  polished. 

4.  Than  and  as  are  sometimes  followed  by  verbs  in  the  infinitive  mode, 
which  are  used  in  a potential  sense:  thus  since  life  can  little  more  supply,', 
than  that  we  may  look,  etc.  Sometimes,  also,  a verb  in  the  infinitive  mode^ 
stands  as  the  object,  on  which  an  action  terminates,  like  a noun  in  the  obi 
jective  case;  so,  fo  look,  may  be  connected  with  the  substantive  phrase.  Utile 
more,  by  the  conjunction  than. 

5.  This  exordium  relates  to  the  whole  work,  first  in  general,  then  in  parti' 
ular.  The  6th,  7th,  and  8th  lines  allude  to  the  subjects  of  this  book,— th( 
general  order  and  design  of  Providence;  the  constitution  of  the  human' 
mind,  whose  passions  cultivated  are  virtues,  neglected  vices;  the  tempUi- 
tions  of  misapplied  self-love,  and  wrong  pursuits  of  power,  pleasure,  and 
false  happiness.— Pope. 

In  the  foregoing  note  the  expression  “this  book”  means  the  four  pubA 
lished  epistles  of  the  Essay,  which  were  intended  to  form  the  first  book  of 
“ the  whole  work,”  which  was  not  completed.  U 

sj  6.  The  6th  verse  alludes  to  the  subject  of  this  first  Epistle,— the  state  o^ 
man  here  and  hereafter,  disposed  by  Providence,  though  to  him  unknown. 
Pope. 

7.  Alludes  to  the  subject  of  the  second  Epistle,— the  passions,  their  good  oj 
evil.— Pope. 

8.  Alludes  to  the  subject  of  the  fourth  Epistle, — of  man’s  various  pursuits? 

of  happiness  or  pleasure. — Pope.  ] 

10.  The  10th,  13th,  and  14th  verses  allude  to  the  subject  of  the  second  Epis*\] 
tie  of  the  second  book,— the  characters  of  men  and  manners. — Pope. 

Open  and  covert  are  adjectives  supplying  the  place  of  their  nouns  (perhaps 
parts)  understood;  a usage  common  iii  poetry.  I 

Pope’s  four  Moral  Essays  were  a portion  of  the  proposed  second  book.  ( 

II.  The  11th  and  12th  verses  allude  to  the  subject  of  the  first  Epistle  of  the) 
second  book— the  limits  of  reason,  learning,  and  ignorance.— Pope. 

This  Epistle  was  not  written. 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


13 


I Eye  JSTature’s  walks,  shoot  Folly  as  it  flies,  \ 

And  catch  the  manners  li\dng  as  they  rise"^ 
i'  Laugh  where  we  must,  be  candid  where  we  can;  15 

vindicate  the  ways  of  God  to  man.^ 

I.  Say  first,  oTGbdrab'CT^^e'i^T'mah  bc^^^ 

I What  can  we  reason  but  from  what  we  know  ? 

; Of  man,  what  see  w^e  but  his  station  here. 

From  which  to  reason,  or  to  which  refer  ? 20 

I Through  worlds  unnumbered  though  tft  God  be  known, 

’Tis  ours  to  trace  Him  only  in  our  own. 

He,  who  through  vast  immensity  can  pierce, 

: See  worlds  on  worlds  compose  one  universe, 

. Observe  how  system  into  system  runs,  25 

I What  other  planets  circle  other  suns, 

I What  varied  being  peoples  every  star, 

■ May  tell  vrhy  Heaven  has  made  us  as  we  are. 
f But  of  this  frame,  the  bearings  and  the  ties, 

[ The  strong  connections,  nice  dependencies,  30 

I Gradations  just,  has  thy  pervading  soul 
! Looked  through,  or  can  a part  contain  the  whole  ? 

I Is  the  great  chain  that  draws  all  to  agree, 

: And  drawn  supports,  upheld  by  God  or  thee  ? 

: II.  Presumptuous  man  ! the  reason  wouldst  thou  find,  35 

I Why  formed  so  weak,  so  little,  and  so  blind  ? 


I 15.  Candid. — Lenient  and  favorable  in  judgment. 

^ 16.  Alludes  to  the  subject  which  runs  through  the  whole  design— the  jus- 
tification of  the  methods  of  Providence. — Pope. 

“ And  justify  the  ways  of  God  to  man.” — Milton,  Par.  Lost,  i.  26. 

18.  From  what  can  we  reason,  etc. 

21.  Though  the  God  be  known  through  worlds,  etc.  A preposition  always 
shows  relation  between  the  word  which  it  governs  and  some  other — a verb, 
houn,  or  an  adjective. 

i 28-28.  He,  who  can  pierce,  see,  and  observe,  may  tell,  etc.  When  a nomi- 
native case  is  immediately  followed  by  a relative,  you  must  look  for  its  verb 
beyond  the  relative  sentence  and  its  connections.  ' 

29-32.  Has  thy  pervading  soul  looked  through  the  bearings,  ties,  etc.,  of  this 
frame? 

!'  29.  This  frame.— The  universe  as  an  arranged  system. 

33.  The  great  chain. — An  allusion  to  the  golden  chain  of  Homer,  which 
he  poet  represents  as  sustained  by  Jove,  with  the  whole  creation  appended 
.0  it 


14 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


First,  if  thou  canst,  the  harder  reason  guess, 

Why  formed  no  weaker,  blinder,  and  no  less  ? 

Ask  of  thy  mother  earth,  why  oaks  are  made 
Taller  or  stronger  than  the  weeds  they  shade ! 

Or  ask  of  yonder  argent  fields  above 
Why  Jove’s  satellites  are  less  than  Jove  ! 

Of  systems  possible,  if  ’tis  confessed 
That  wisdom  infinite  must  form  the  best. 

Where  all  must  full  or  not  coherent  be. 

And  all  that  rises  rise  in  due  degree. 

Then,  in  the  scale  of  reasoning  life,  ’tis  plain 
There  must  be  somewhere  such  a rank  as  man: 

And  all  the  question  (wrangle  e’er  so  long) 

/ Is  only  this,  if  God  has  placed  him  wrong. 

Kespecting  man,  whatever  wrong  we  call. 

May,  must  be  right,  as  relative  to  all. 

In  human  works,  though  labored  on  with  pain, 

A thousand  movements  scarce  one  purpose  gain; 

In  God’s,  one  single  can  its  end  produce; 

Yet  serves  to  second  too  some  other  use. 

So  man,  who  here  seems  principal  alone. 

Perhaps  acts  second  to  some  sphere  unknown. 

Touches  some  wheel,  or  verges  to  some  goal; 

’Tis  but  a part  we  see,  and  not  a whole. 

When  the  proud  steed  shall  know  why  man  restrains 


40; 


% 


37.  If  thou  canst  guess,  then  guess  the  harder  reason.  Guess  in  the  end  o 
the  iine  is  in  the  imperative  mode. 

40.  Then  the  weeds,  which  they  shade,  are  made. 

42  Why  Jupiter’s  moons  or  satellites,  are  less  than  the  planet  itseli. 


Satellites In  four  syllables,  the  pronunciation  of  the  time. 

43.  If  ’tis  contest,  that  infinite  Wisdom  must  form  the  best  of  possibl- 
systems, 


43. 

45.  Where  all  must  fall,  or  not  be  coherent.  • xv,  u 

49.  Wrangle  may  be.  by  hypothesis,  put  in  the  imperative  or  in  the  sub 
iective  mode — if  we  or  you  wrangle. 

50.  The  phrase,  if  God  has  placed  him  tvrong,  is  m apposition  with  quei 

^ 51.  Respecting,  by  some,  is  called  a preposition  and  it  may  be  a part.-j 
That,  respecting  man,  which  we  call  wrong.  j 

55.  Single.— That  is,  single  movement. 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


15 


His  fiery  course,  or  drives  him  o’er  the  plains; 

When  the  dull  ox,  why  now  he  breaks  the  clod. 

Is  now  a victim,  and  now  Egypt’s  god; 

Then  shall  man’s  pride  and  dullness  comprehend  65 

His  actions’,  passions’,  being’s,  use  and  end 
Why  doing,  suff’ring,  checked,  impelled;  and  why 
This  hour  a slave,  the  next  a deity. 

Then  say  not  man’s  imperfect,  Heaven  in  fault; 

Say  rather  man’s  as  perfect  as  he  ought:  70 

His  knowledge  measured  to  his  state  and  place. 

His  time  a moment,  and  a point  his  space. 

If  to  be  perfect  in  a certain  sphere. 

What  matter,  soon  or  late,  or  here  or  there  ? 

The  blest  to-day  is  as  completely  so,  75 

As  who  began  a thousand  years  ago. 

. III.  Heaven  from  all  creatures  hides  the  book  of  fate. 

All  biit  the  page  prescribed,  their  present  state; 

From  brutes  what  men,  from  men  what  spirits  know; 

Or  wlia  could  suffer  being  here  below  ? 80 

The  lamb  thy  riot  dooms  to  bleed  to-day, 

Had  he  thy  reasmi,  would  he  skip  and  play  ? 

Pleased  to  the  last,  he  crops  the  flowery  food, 

And  licks  the  hand  just  raised  to  shed  his  blood. 


. 63.  Oxen- were  offered  in  sacrifice  by  most  of  the  ancients,  as  well  as  by 
he  Jews.  With  the  Egyptians,  the  species  ox  was  sacred,  and  an  object 
)f  worship.  When  their  god.  the  bull  Apis,  died,  in  the  reign  of  Ptolemy 
^g-ns,  the  expenses  of  his  funeral  pomp  exr*eeded  50,000  French  crowns. 

I 64  Egypt’s  god.— Apis,  the  bull  kept  at  Memphis,  and  worshiped  by  the 
[ilgyptians. 

j 70.  As  lie  ought. —That  is.  as  he  ought  to  be. 

! 75.  Blest,  a participle  used  for  its  substantive,  or,  the  man  who  is  (or  who 
^gan  to  be)  blest  to-day,  etc. 

76.  Years— Nouns  of  time  and  distance,  and  manner,  ivith  the  noun,  home, 
;re  put  ill  the  objective  case,  without  anj^  word  expressed  to  govern  them 
-a  preposition  being  understood. 

80.  See  this  pursued  in  Epistle  III.,  verse  66,  etc,,  verse  79,  etc. — Pope. 

! Being  is  a noun — Who  could  suffer  (i.e.,  bear  the  burden  of)  existence  here 
lelow 

81.  Riot. — Luxury,  excess. 

, If  the  Jamb,  which  thy  riot  dooms,  etc.  (if  he)  had  thy  reason,  would  he 
kip  and  play?  He  is  only  a repetition  of  the  subject,  and  in  apposition  with 
a mb. 


16 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


90J 


!-r 

I 

95 


Oh  blindness  to  the  future  ! kindly  given,  S 

That  each  may  fill  the  circle  marked  by  Heaven: 

Who  sees  with  equal  eye,  as  God  of  all, 

A hero  perish,  or  a sparrow  fall. 

Atoms  or  systems  into  ruin  hurled. 

And  now  a bubble  burst,  and  now  a world. 

C^-Hope  humbly  then;  with  trembling  pinions  soar; 

Wait  the  great  teacher  Death,  and  God  adore. 

What  future  bliss  He  gives  not  thee  to  know. 

But  gives  that  hope  to  be  thy  blessing  now. 

Hope  springs  eternal  in  the  human  breast; 

Man  never  is,  but  always  to  be,  blest. 

The  soul,  uneasy,  and  confined  from  home. 

Rests  and  expatiates  in  a life  to  come. 

Lo!  the  poor  Indian,  whoso  untutored  mind  • 

Sees  God  in  clouds,  or  hears  him  in  the  wind; 

His  soul  proud  science  never  taught  to  stray  A 

Far  as  the  solar  walk  or  milky  way;  |?; 

Yet  simple  Nature  to  his  hope  has  given, 

Behind  the  cloud-topped  hill,  an  humbler  heaven;  ;p' 

Some  safer  world  in  depth  of  woods  embraced,  loj 

Some  happier  island  in  the  watery  waste.  f 

Where  slaves  once  more  their  native  land  behold. 

No  fiends  torment,  no  Christians  thirst  for  gold. 

To  be,  contents  his  natural  desire; 


100 


85.  Interjections  govern  both  the  nominative  and  objective  of  pronou 

but  the  nominative  only  of  nouns.  ^ 

87  Who  relates  to  Heaven,  which  is  here  used  for  God,  and  God,  in  t.M 
end  of  the  line,  is  connected  with  who,  by  the  conjunction  as—ov,  those  nour 
which  folloAV  the  conjunction  as,  and  have  a like  mea.ning  with  those  < 
which  they  are  connected,  may  be  considered  in  apposition  with  the  same, 

92  ^V^it  for  the  great  teacher.  By  a particular  usage  of  langu^e,  ti 

objective  case  is  put  after  many  verbs  which  do  not  pass  over  to  them,  i 
the  real  objects  of  an  action.  ^ 1, 

93  What  future  bliss.— That  is^  what  future  bliss  shall  be.  . . 

94.  Further  opened  in, Epistle  II.,  verse  283;  Epistle  III  , verse  i4,  Epist 

^^62.  The  ancient  opinion  that  the  souls  of  the  just  went  thither.  Pope.  1 
To  the  solar  walk,  that  is,  the  circuit  of  the  sun.  ^ 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


17 


I He  asks  no  angel’s  wings,  no  seraph’s  fire;  no 

: But  thinks,  admitted  to  that  equal  sky. 

His  faithful  dog  shall  bear  him  company. 

ly.  Go,  wiser  thou  ! and  in  thy  scale  of  sense, 

/Weigh  thy  opinion  against  Providence; 

Call  imperfection  what  thou  fanciest  such,  1 1 5 

Say,  Here  He  gives  too  little,  there  too  much  ! 

Destroy  all  creatures  for  thy  sport  or  gust, 

1 et  cry.  If  man’s  unhappy,  God’s  unjust; 

If  man  alone  engross  not  Heaven’s  high  care. 

Alone  made  perfect  here,  immortal  there:  120 

Snatch  from  His  hand  the  balance  and  the  rod, 

Ke- judge  His  justice,  be  the  god  of  God. 

Tu  pride^  in  reasoning  pride,  our  error  lies; 

All  quit  their  sphere  and  rush  into  the  skies  ! 

Pride  still  is  aiming  at  the  blest  abodes,  125 

Men  would  be  angels,  angels  would  be  gods. 

Aspiring  to  be  gods  if  angels  fell. 

Aspiring  to  be  angels  men  rebel: 

And  who  but  wishes  to  invert  the  laws 
Of  order,  sins  against  the  Eternal  Cause.  1 30 

V.  Ask  for  what  end  the  heavenly  bodies  shine. 

Earth  for  whose  use.  Pride  answers,  ‘ ‘ ’Tis  for  mine  ! 

For  me  kind  Hature  wakes  her  genial  power, 

I Suckles  each  herb,  and  spreads  out  every  flower; 

Annual  for  me,  the  grape,  the  rose  renew  135 

- ' Oi 

The  juice  nectareous  and  the  balmy  dew;  ' 

112.  So  in  Homer,  at  the  funeral  of  Patroclus,  xxiii.  12,  of  our  poet’s  trans- 
lation: 

“ Of  nine  large  dogs,  domestic  at  his  board, 

Fall  two,  selected  to  attend  their  lord.” — Wakefield. 

113.  Sense. — Here  used  for  “ the  senses.” 

Go,  thou,  who  art  wiser  than  the  poor  Indian. 

‘ 115.  Call  that^  imperfection,  irhich  thou  fanciest  to  be  such. 

117.  Gust.— Gratification  of  the  palate,  relish— opposed  to  disgust. 

! 120.  If  he  he  not  alone  made,  etc.,  then  snatch. 

! 121.  Balance.— Of  justice,  in  which  qualities  are  weighed.— Rod,  the  rod 

of  chastisement  for  offenses. 

129.  He  who,  etc.,  sins.  When  hut  can  be  changed  into  only,  without  in- 
juring the  sense,  it  is  an  adverb. 


18 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


For  me  the  mine  a thousand  treasures  brings; 

For  me  health  gushes  from  a thousand  springs; 

Seas  roll  to  waft  me,  suns  to  light  me  rise; 

My  footstool  earth,  my  canopy  the  skies  !”  140 

But  errs  not  Nature  from  this  gracious  end. 

From  burning  suns  when  livid  deaths  descend,  ! 

When  earthquakes  swallow,  or  when  tempests  sweep 
Towns  to  one  grave,  whole  nations  to  the  deep  ? 

“ No,”  ’tis  replied,  “ the  first  Almighty  Cause  14c 

x\cts  not  by  partial  but  by  general  laws: 

The  exceptions  few;  some  change  since  all  began; 

And  what  created  perfect  ?” — Why  then  man  ? 

If  the  great  end  be  human  happiness. 

Then  Nature  deviates;  and  can  man  do  less  ? 150 

As  much  that  end  a constant  course  requires 
Of  showers  and  sunshine,  as  of  man’s  desires: 

As  much  eternal  springs  and  cloudless  skies. 

As  men  forever  temperate,  calm,  and  wise. 
x'Tf  plagues  or  earthquakes  break  not  Heaven’s  design,  155I 
—Why  then  a Borgia  or  a Catiline  ? I 


140.  Isaiali  Ixvi.  1:  “Thus  saith  tl)e  Lord,  The  heaven  is  my  throne,  and 
the  earth  is  my  footstool.”  It  has  been  said  no  sane  man  could  ever  pretei  d 
that  “ earth  was  his  footstool,”  and  Pope  alone  is  responsible  for  the  unbe-, 
coming?  misapplication  of  the  prophet’s  language. 

141.  But  does  not  nature  err  from  this  gracious  end,  viz.:  the  blessings 
enumerated  above. 

147.  Some  change.— That  is.  There  has  been  some  change. 

150  Then  Nature  deviates. — If  the  great  end  of  terrestrial  creation  is 
allow  d to  be  human  happiness,  then  it  is  clear  that  Nature  sometimes  de* 
viates  from  that  end,  as  in  the  instance  of  plagues  and  earthquakes. 

151-153.  That  end  as  much  requires  eternal  springs,  etc.,  as  it  requires  that 
men  should  be  forever  temperate,  etc. 

>150.  Borgia.— Caesar  Borgia,  a natural  son  of  Pope  Alexander  VI.  He 
was  one  of  the  greatest  monsters  of  a time  of  depravity,  when  the  court  of 
Borne  was  the  scene  of  all  the  worst  forms  of  crime.  Early  made  a cai-dinal, 
he,  through  envy,  caused  his  brother  to  be  assassinated.  Having  under- 
taken  for  the  Holy  See  the  conquest  of  the  Romagna,  he  murdered  the  right- 
ful lords  of  that  country,  notwithstanding  that  their  lives  had  been  guaran- 
teed by  his  oath.  He  afterwards  prepared  poison  for  twelve  cardinals.  The 
poisoned  wine  was  by  mistake  drunk  by  both  the  pope  and  himself.  The 
pope  died,  but  he  recovered.  Caesar  was  ultimately  killed  in  battle  in  1507. 

Catiline. — Lucius  Sergius  Catilina,  born  about  108  B.c.,  the  author  of  a 
conspiracy  or  political  revolution  in  Rome,  which  has  made  his  name  infa- 
mous to  all  ages.  The  history  of  it  has  been  written  by  Sallust.  Catiline 
was  slain  in  battle,  b.c.  62. 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


19 


Who  knows  but  He,  whose  hand  the  lightning  forms, 

Who  heaves  old  ocean,  and  who  wings  the  storms, 

Pours  fierce  ambition  in  a Caesar’s  mind, 

Or  turns  young  x\mmon  loose  to.  scourge  mankind  ? i6o 
From  pride,  from  pride  our  very  reasoning  springs; 

Account  for  moral,  as  for  natural  things: 

Why  charge  Ve  Heaven  in  those,  in  these  acquit  ? 

In  both  to  reason  right  is  to  submit. 

Better  for  us,  perhaps,  it  might  appear,  165 

Were  there  all  harmony,  all  virtue  here; 

That  never  air  or  ocean  felt  the  wind; 

That  never  passion  discomposed  the  mind. 

But  all  subsists  by  elemental  strife; 

And  passions  are  the  elements  of  life.  170 

ffhe  general  order,  since  the  whole  began, 
ds  kept  in  nature,  and  is  kept  in  man. 

VI.  What  would  this  man  ? Now  upward  wdl  he  soar. 
And  little  less  than  angel,  w^ould  be  more  ! 

Now  looking  downwards,  just  as  grieved  appears  175 

To  want  the  strength  of  bulls,  the  fur  of  bears. 

Made  for  his  use,  all  creatures  if  he  call. 

Say  what  their  use,  had  h^  the  powers  of  all: 

Nature  to  these  without  profusion  kind. 

The  proper  organs,  proper  powers  assigned ; 1 80 


158.  Who  knows  but  he,  whose  hand,  etc.,  pours f 

159.  Julius  Caesar  is  here  meant. 

160.  Young  Ammon. — Alexander  the  Great,  of  Macedon,  who  visited  the 
tempTe  of  Jupiter  Ammon  in  Africa,  and  was  styled  by  the  priests  son  of 
their  god. 

166.  If  all  were /larmoni/ there  (i.e.,  in  the  operations  of  nature),  and  all 
virtue  here  (i.e.,  in  the  actions  of  men). 

170.  See  this  subject  extended  in  Epistle  II.  from  verse  100  to  122;  verse 
165,  etc. — Pope. 

173.  What  would  this  man  do  or  have;  or  what  wishes  this  man.  When 
the  interrogative  is  not  directly  the  nominative  to  the  verb,  there  being  no 
other  nominative  case,  it  is  either  the  nominative  after  the  verb,  governed 
by  it,  or  by  a preposition  expressed  or  understood. 

174.  “ Thou  hast  made  him  a little  lower  than  the  angels,  and  hast  crowned 
him  with  glory  and  honor.”— Psalm  viii.  5. 

179-181.  Nature,  being  kind  without  profusion,  assigned  the  proper  organs, 
etc.,  and  compensated  each  seeming  want. 


20 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


Each  seeming  want  ^jmj)ensated  of  course, 

Here  with  degrees  of  swiftness,  there  of  force: 

All  in  exact  proportion  to  the  state; 

Nothing  to  add,  and  nothing  to  abate: 

Each  beast,  each  insect  happy  in  its  own : 

Is  Heaven  unkind  to  man,  and  man  alone  ? 

Shall  he  alone,  whom  rational  we  call, 

Be  pleased  with  nothing,  if  not  blessed  with  all  ? 

The  bliss  of  man  (could  pride  that  blessing  find). 
Is  not  to  act  or  think  beyond  mankind; 

/ No  powers  of  body  or  of  soul  to  share, 

^N^But  what  his  nature  and  his  state  can  bear. 

Why  has  not  man  a microscopic  eye  ? 

For  this  plain  reason,  man  is  not  a fiy. 

Say  what  the  use,  were  ^ner  optics  given. 

To  inspect  a mite,  not  comprehend  the  heaven  ? 

Or  touch,  if  tremblingly  alive  all  o’er. 

To  smart  and  agonize  at  every  pore  ? 

Or  quick  effluvia  darting  through  the  brain, 

Die  of  a rose  in  aromatic  pain  ? 

If  Nature  thundered  in  his  opening  ears, 


i8s 


I 


190J, 


195 1' 


200  ? 


182.  It  is  a certain  axiom  in  the  anatomy  of  creatures,  that  in  proportion  ^ ^ 
as  they  are  formed  for  strength,  their  swiftness  is  lessened;  or  as  they  are^;  * 
formed  for  swiftness,  their  strength  is  abated. — Pope.  * ; 

184.  To  add  and  to  abate  seem  to  imply  a passive  signification— Nothing  D 

to  be  added  and  nothing  to  be  abated.  Vj 

See  Epistle  III.,  verse  79,  etc.,  and  verse  109,  etc  — Pope. 

185.  In  its  own.— Supply  “condition.” 

190.  Not  to  act  or  think  beyond  mankind  is  a substantive  phrase  used  as  a 
nominative  after  is,  and  to  share  no  powers  is  connected  with  it. 

193-204.  These  lines  have  very  often  been  misunderstood,  and  turned  out 
of  their  true  meaning.  The  poet  adverts  to  the  five  senses,  in  order;  asking 
first.  Why  man  has  not  a microscopic  eye,  i.e.,  an  eye  formed  to  see  the 
smallest  objects,  as  are  those  of  flies?  and  then  answers,  because  man  is  not 
a fiy.  On  the  principle  of  optics,  if  we  could  see  much  more  minutely,  we 
could  not  take  in  so  large  a space  of  the  heavens  at  one  view;  as  a fiy  cannot 
see  the  whole  of  one  side  of  a building  upon  which  he  may  light.  What 
would  be  the  use,  if  finer  touch  were  given,  if  this  keener  sensation  cause  or 
make  us  smart  and  agonize  at  every  pore?  Smell  is  supposed  to  be  occa- 
sioned by  some  effluvia  passing  through  the  brain;  and  what  the  use,  were 
this  sense  so  quick,  or  the  effect  of  these  passing  effluvia  so  powerful,  as  to 
make  us  die  of  the  smell  of  a rose  in  aromatic  pain? 

201.  It  is  justly  objected  that  the  argument  required  an  instance  di-awn 
from  real  sound,  and  not  from  the  imaginary  music  of  the  spheres.  Locke's 


ESSAY  OK  MAK. 


21 


And  stunned  him  with  the  music  of  the  spheres, 

How  would  he  wish  that  Heaven  had  left  him  still 
The  whispering  zephyr  and  the  purling  rill ! 

Who  finds  not  Providence  all  good  and  wise,  205 

Alike  in  what  it  gives,  and  what  denies  ? 

VII.  Far  as  creation^  ample  range  extends. 

The  scale  of  sensual,  mental  powers  ascends. 

Mark  how  it  mounts  to  man’s  imperial  race. 

From  the  green  myriads  in  the  peopled  grass;  210 

What  modes  of  sight  betwixt  each  wide  extreme, 

The  mole’s  dim  curtain,  and  the  lynx’s  beam: 

Of  smell,  the  headlong  lioness  between. 

And  hound  sagacious  on  the  tainted  green: 

Of  hearing,  from  the  life  that  fills  the  flood,  215 

To  that  which  warbles  through  the  vernal  wood  ! 

•The  spider’s  touch  how  exquisitely  fine  ! 

Feels  at  each  thread,  and  lives  along  the  line: 

In  the  nice  bee,  what  sense  so  subtly  true 

From  poisonous  herbs  extracts  the  healing  dew  ? 220 

How  instinct  varies  in  the  groveling  swine. 

Compared,  half-reasoning  elephant,  with  thine ! 

’Twixt  that  and  reason,  what  a nice  barrier  I 
Forever  separate,  yet  for  ever  near  ! 


illustration  of  this  doctrine  is  not  only  proper  but  poetical.  “ If  our  sense 
of  hearing  were  but  one  thousand  times  quicker  than  it  is,  how  would  a per- 
petual noise  distract  us;  and  we  should,  in  the  quietest  retirement,  be  less 
able  to  sleep  or  meditate  than  in  the  middle  of  a sea-fight.” 

202.  Music  of  the  spheres. — An  ancient  fancy  that  the  rotation  of  the 
planets  was  accompanied  with  sound,  each  planet  giving  a note  higher  than 
that  next  it. 

211.  How  many  modes  or  degrees  of  sight  are  there  between  the  dimness 
of  the  mole's,  and  the  sharpness  of  the  lynx's?  What  may  be  made  a rela- 
tive or  demonstrative  pronoun. 

213.  The  lion  is  said  to  be  defective  in  the  sense  of  smell,  so  much  so  as 
not  to  pur.sue  his  prey  by  scent,  as  do  the  hounds. 

215.  i he  life  that  fills  the  Hood— fishes,  which  are  in  a degree  destitute  of 
hearing. 

217.  It  fi.e.,  the  spider’s  touch)  feels. 

219.  Nice. — Distinguishing  accurately. 

222.  The  elephant  is  here  addressed,  and  called  half  reasoning,  on  account 
of  his  superior  sagacity,  compared  with  other  animals. 

2-^3.  Barrier. — Now  accented  on  the  first  syllable. 

’Twixt  that  and  reason,  i.e.,  ’twixt  the  instinct  of  the  elephant  and  reason. 


22 


ESSAY  OK  MAK. 


Kemembrance  and  reflection,  how  allied;  225 

What  thin  partitions  sense  from  thought  divide; 

And  middle  natures,  how  they  long  to  join. 

Yet  never  pass  the  insuperable  line! 

Without  this  just  gradation,  could  they  be 
Subjected,  these  to  those,  or  all  to  thee  ? 230 

The  powers  of  all  subdued  by  thee  alone, 

[s  not  thy  reason  all  these  powers  in  one  ? 

VIII.  See,  through  this  air,  this  ocean,  and  this  earth. 

All  matter  quick,  and  bursting  into  birth. 

Above,  how  high  progressive  life  may  go!  235 

Around,  howwddel  how  deep  extend  below! 

/Vast  chain  of  being!  which  from  God  began, 

■ Natures  ethereal,  human,  angel,  man. 

Beast,  bird,  flsh,  insect,  what  no  eye  can  see, 

No  glass  can  reacli;  from  infinite  to  thee,  240 

From  thee  to  nothing.  On  superior  powers 
Were  we  to  press,  inferior  might  on  ours: 

Or  in  the  full  creation  leave  a void. 

Where,  one  step  broken,  the  great  scale’s  destroyed: 

From  Nature’s  chain  whatever  link  you  strike,  245 

Tenth  or  ten  thousandth,  breaks  the  chain  alike. 

And  if  each  system  in  gradation  roll 
Alike  essential  to  the  amazing  whole. 

The  least  confusion  but  in  one,  not  all 

That  system  only,  but  the  w^hole  must  fall.  250 

Let  earth  unbalanced  from  her  orbit  fly. 

Planets  and  suns  run  lawless  through  the  sky; 


226.  Tho^jght.— Reasoning,  as  opposed  to  seeing,  feeling,  etc.,  implied  in 
the  word  sense  used  in  the  verse. 

237.  Vast  chain  of  being!  comprehending  natures  ethereal,  etc.  In  ex- 
clamatory sentences,  like  this,  the  noun,  as  chain,  seems  to  be  a nominative 
independent,  in  a different  sense  from  that  where  an  adoress  is  made;  but 
we  have  no  established  rule  for  it  and  therefore  must  understand  a verb. 

239.  What  that  which  no  glass  can  reach,  viz.,  animalcules,  which  cannot 
be  discovered  even  by  the  best  magnifiers;  extending  from  infinite  to  thee. 
Extending  agrees  with  which,  after  being,  in  line  237. 

252.  The  construction  here  is:  Let  planets  and  suns  run  lawless  through 


ESSAY  ON  MAN, 


23 


Let  ruling  angels  from  their  spheres  be  hurled, 

Being  on  being  wrecked,  and  world  on  world; 

Heaven’s  whole  foundations  to  their  center  nod,  255 

. And  Nature  tremble  to  the  throne  of  God! 

All  this  dread  order  break — for  whom  ? for  thee  ? 

Vile  worm! — Oh!  madness!  pride!  impiety! 

IX.  What  if  the  foot,  ordained  the  dust  to  tread, 

Or  hand,  to  toil,  aspired  to  be  the  head  ? 260 

What  if  the  head,  the  eye,  or  ear  repii^ 

To  serve  mere  engines  to  the  ruling  mind  ? 

Just  as  absurd  for  any  part  to  claim 
To  be  another  in  this  general  frame; 

Just  as  absurd  to  mourn  the  tasks  or  pains  • 265 

The  great  directing  Mind  of  all  ordains. 

All  are  but  parts  of  one  stupendous  whole, 

Whose  body  Nature  is,  and  God  the  soul ; 

That,  changed  through  all,  and  yet  in  all  the  same. 

Great  in  the  earth,  as  in  the  ethereal  frame,  270 

Warms  in  the  sun,  refreshes  in  the  breeze. 

Glows  in  the  stars,  and  blossoms  in  the  trees. 

Lives  through  all  life,  extends  through  all  extent. 

Spreads  undivided,  operates  unspent; 

I Breathes  in  our  soul,  informs  our  mortal  part,  275 

I As  full,  as  perfect  in  a hair  as  heart; 

..f;  As  full,  as  perfect  in  vile  man  that  mourns, 

As  the  rapt  seraph  that  adores  and  burns: 


the  sky,  let  ruling  angels  from  their  spheres  be  hurled,  let  being  be  wrecked 
on  being,  and  let  world  be  wrecked  on  world,  let  heaven's  whole  foundations 
nod  to  their  center,  and  let  Nature  tremble  to  the  throne  of  God. 

259.  What— see  note  to  verse  173. 

262.  Engines  is  in  the  nominative  case  after  to  serve. 

266.  See  the  prosecution  and  application  of  this  in  Epistle  IV.,  verse  162.— 
Pope. 

269.  That— a relative  pronoun  referring  to  soul  for  its  antecedent,  and  in 
the  nominative  case  to  warms. 

276.  Which  is  as  full.  A hair  may  be  considered  as  the  most  insignificant, 
and  the  heart  as  the  noblest,  part  of  mortal  man.  The  idea  was  probably 
suggested  by  this  passage  of  Scripture:  Not  a sparrow  falleth  to  the  ground 
without  his  notice,  and  the  hairs  of  our  head  are  all  numbered. 


24 


ESSAY  ON  MAN, 


To  Him  no  high,  no  low,  no  great,  no  small;  * 

He  fills.  He  hounds,  connects,  and  equals  all.  280  ? 

X.  Cease  then,  nor  Order  imperfection  name: 

Our  proper  bliss  depends  on  what  we  blame. 

Know  thy  own  point:  this  kind,  this  due  degree 
Of  blindness,  weakness.  Heaven  bestows  on  thee. 

Submit:  inJ^hisjir  any^other- sphere,  285. 

Secure  to  be  as  blessed  as  thou  canst  bear; 

Safe  in  the  hand  of  one  disposing  Power, 

Or  in  the  natal,  or  the  mortal  hour. 

All  nature  is  but  art  unknown  to  thee; 

All  chance,  direction  which  thou  canst  not  see;  290 

All  discord,  harmony  not  understood; 

' All  partial  evil,  universal  good; 

And,  spite  of  pride,  in  erring  reason’s  spite, 

One  truth  is  clear.  Whatever  is,  is  right. 


Argument  of  Epistle  II. 


OP  THE  NATURE  AND  STATE  OF  MAN  WITH  RESPECT  TO  HIMSELF,  AS  AN  INDI' 
VIDUAL. 


I.  The  business  of  man  not  to  pry  into  God,  but  to  study  himself.  His,  • 
middle  nature:  his  powers  and  frailties,  verse  1 to  19.  The  limits  of  his,  ^ 
capacity,  verse  19,  etcX"lI  The  two  principles  qf_man,  ^If-love  and  reaso^j  j 
both  necessary,  v^se  .53,  etc.'~''Seif^tcrv:T  th'U®  and  why,  verse’6T,'etcT'* 


TEeff’*end  the  same,  verse  81,  etc.  III.  The  passions,  and  their  use,  versesl 


93  to  130.  The  predominant  passion,  and  its  force,  132  to  160.  Its  necessity,  ( 
in  directing  men  to  different  purposes,  verse  165,  etc.  Its  providential  use,i  ) 
in  fixing  our  principle,  and  ascertaining  our  virtue,  verse  177.  IV.  Virtue 
and  vice  joined  in  our  mixed  nature,  the  limits  near,  yet  the  things  separate.  ^ 
and  evident:  what  is  the  office  of  reason,  verses  202  to  216.  V.  How  odious^' 
vice  in  itself,  and  how  we  deceive  ourselves  into  it,  verse  217.  VI.  That, 
however,  the  ends  of  Providence  and  general  good  are  answered  in  our  pas- 
sions  and  imperfections,  verse  238,  etc.  How  usefully  these  are  distributed 
^'to  ah  orders  of  men,  verse  241.  How  useful  they  are  to  society,  verse  251. 

^ And  to  individuals,  verse  263.  In  every  state,  and  every  age  of  life,  verse 
273,  etc. 


28L  Do  not  name  or  call  order ^ imperfection. 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


25 


Epistle  II. 

I.  Know  then  thyself,  presume  not  God  to  scan, 

The  proper  study  of  mankind  is  man. 

Placed  on  this  isthmus  of  a middle  state, 

A being  darkly  wise  and  rudely  great: 

With  too  much  knowledge  for  the  skeptic  side,  5 

With  too  much  weakness  for  the  Stoic’s  pride, 

He  hangs  between;  in  doubt  to  act,  or  rest; 

In  doubt  to  deem  himself  a god  or  beast; 

In  doubt  his  mind  or  body  to  prefer; 

Born  but  to  die,  and  reasoning  but  to  err;  lo 

Alike  in  ignorance,  his  reason  such. 

Whether  he  thinks  too  little  or  too  much; 

Chaos  of  thought  and  passion,  all  confused; 

Still  by  himself  abused,  or  disabused; 

Created  half  to  rise,  and  half  to  fall;  15 

Great  lord  of  all  things,  yet  a prey  to  all; 

Sole  judge  of  truth,  in  endless  error  hurled; 

The  glory,  jest,  and  riddle  of  the  world  j,.. 

Go,  wondrous  creature  ! mount  where  science  guides. 

Go,  measure  earth,  weigh  air,  and  state  the  tides;  20 

Instruct  the  planets  in  what  orbs  to  run. 


I.  Know  thyself  was  the  favorite  maxim  of  the  ancients.  It  is  here, 
perhaps,  more  confined  in  its  meaning.  Know  thy  weakness,  presume  not 
God  to  scan:  for  “ who  by  searching  can  find  out  God?” 

5.  The  skeptic  is  one  who  professes  to  doubt  all  things. 

6.  The  stoic  pretends  that  our  happiness  should  not  in  the  least  be  affected 
by  our  outward  circumstances. 

7.  In  doubt  to  act,  or  rest.— Johnson,  in  his  translation  of  Crousaz,  says 
he  cannot  determine  whether  any  one  has  discovered  the  true  meaning  of 
these  words.  The  language  is  wague,  and  incapable  of  an  interpretation 
which  is  generally  true;  but  "the  probable  sense  seems  to  be  that  man  is  in 
doubt  whether  to  embrace  an  active  belief,  or  whether  to  resign  himself  to 
a passive,  inert  skepticism. 

10.  Man  is  the  onlyterrestrial  being  capable  of  reasoning,  or  of  deducing 
remoter  truths  from  those  which  are  known  and  admitted;  yet,  by  assum- 
ing false  premises,  or  by  improperly  linking  his  ideas,  he  too  frequently 
stumbles  upon  false  conclusions.  Bid,  i.e.  only,  to  err. 

II.  The  construction  is,  “ Such  is  the  reason  of  man  that  he  is  equally  ig- 
norant whether  he  thinks  too  little  or  too  much.” 

14.  Abused.— Deceived. 

21.  Instruct  the  planets  as  to  the  orbs  in  which  they  should  run;  or  to  point 
out  to  the  planets  the  orbs  in  which  they  should  ruri. 


26 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


Correct  old  time,  and  regulate  the  sun; 

Go,  soar  with  Plato  to  the  empyreal  sphere. 

To  the  first  good,  first  perfect,  and  first  fair; 

Or  tread  the  mazy  round  his  followers  trod,  25 

And  quitting  sense  call  imitating  God; 

As  Eastern  priests  in  giddy  circles  run. 

And  turn  their  heads  to  imitate  the  sun. 

Go,  teach  Eternal  Wisdom  how  to  rule — 

^ Then  drop  into  thyself,  and  be  a fool ! 30 

' Superior  beings,  when  of  late  they  saw 
A mortal  man  unfold  all  Nature’s  law. 

Admired  such  wisdom  in  an  earthly  shape. 

And  showed  a Newton,  as  we  show  an  ape. 

Could  he,  whose  rules  the  rapid  comet  bind,  35 

Describe  or  fix  one  movement  of  his  mdnd  ? 

Who  saw  its  fires  here  rise,  and  there  descend. 

Explain  his  own  beginning  or  his  end  ? 


22.  Correct  old  time.— Warburton  says  that  this  refers  to  Sir  Isaac  New- 
ton’s chronology.  More  probably  Pope  alluded  to  the  Gregoi  ian  reforma- 
tion of  the  calendar,  adopted  throughout  the  greater  part  of  Europe  towards 
the  close  of  the  sixteenth  century,  though  not  in  England  till  1752. 

^ Regulate  the  sun. — Is  said  by  Wakefield  to  refer  to  the  use  of  equal 
mean  for  unequal  apparent  time. 

23.  Empyreal.— Formed  of  fire,  from  Gr.  empyros^  in  fire,  from  em,  in, 
and  pyr.  fire. 

Empyreal  sphere.— The  seventh  of  the  seven  fictitious  spheres  of  the 
'ancients,  inhabited,”  says  Cicero,  “ by  that  all-powerful  God  who  controls 
the  other  spheres.” 

24.  First.— From  which  all  others  are  derived. 

Fair. — Free  from  blemish,  pure,  beautiful. 

26.  Call  quitting  sense,  imitating  God.  These  are  substantive  phrases, 
the  latter  in  apposition  with  the  former. 

«^27,  28.  A reference  to  the  sacred  dance  of  the  Mohammedan  monks.  Plu- 
tarch tells  us,  in  his  Life  of  Numa,  that  the  followers  of  Pythagoras  were 
enjoined  to  turn  themselves  round  during  the  performance  of  their  religious 
worship;  and  that  this  circumrotation  was  intended  to  imitate  the  revolu- 
tion of  the  world. 

34.  And  showed  a Newton,  etc.;  i.e.,  with  the  same  admiration  of  his  su- 
periority over  his  kind,  in  imitating  them,  which  we  feel,  on  seeing  a brute 
animal  capable  of  showing,  by  his  actions,  so  striking  a resemblance  to  the 
human  species. 

Newton.— Sir  Isaac  Newton,  the  most  remarkable  mathematician  and 
natural  philosopher  of  his  own  or  perhaps  of  any  other  age,  born  at  Wools- 
thorpe,  in  Lincolnshire,  in  1642.  His  theory  of  gravitation,  perhaps  the 
greatest  scientific  discovery  ever  made,  is  unfolded  in  his  great  work  The 
Principia.  He  died  in  1727. 

35-38.  Could  he  (Newton),  after  all  his  mighty  discoveries,  describe  or  fix 
one  movement  of  his  own  mind.  Could  he  explain  his  own  beginning,  qr 
iajseiidy 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


27 


!,  Alas  ! what  wonder  ! Man’s  superior  part 

Unchecked  may  rise,  and  climb  from  art  to  art; 

But  when  his  own  great  work  i^but  begun, 

What  reason  weaves,  by  passion  is  undone. 

Trace  science,  then,  with  modesty  thy  guide; 

First  strip  off  all  her  equipage  of  pride; 

Deduct  what  is  but  vanity,  or  dress. 

Or  learning’s  luxury,  or  idleness, 

. Or  tricks  to  show  the  stretch  of  human  brain, 
i'^Mere  curious  pleasure,  or  ingenious  pain; 

kExpui^e  the  whole,  or  lop  the  exc^scent  parts 
Of  all  our  vices  have  created  arts; 
i J Then  see  how  little  the  remaining  sum, 

[ \ Which  served  the  past,  and  must  the  times  to  come  ! 
' II.  Two  principles  in  human  nature  reign; 

■ Self-loveTo  urge,  and  reason  to  restrain; 

Nor  this  a good,.,  nor  that  a bad  we  call. 

Each  works  its  end  to  move  or  govern  all: 

And  to  their  proper  operation  still 
Ascribe  all  good;  to  their  improper,  ill. 

Self-love,  the  spring  of  motion,  acts  the  soul; 
Keason’s  comparing  balance  rules  the  whole. 

Man,  but  for  that,  no  action  could  attend, 

And,  but  for  this,  were  active  to  no  end: 

Fixed  like  a plant  on  his  peculiar  spot. 

To  draw  nutrition,  propagate,  and  rot; 


40 


45 


50 


55 


60 


42.  An  allusion  to  the  web  of  Penelope  in  Homer’s  Odyssey. 

44.  Pride.— Ornament,  splendor. 

50.  Of  all,  which  our  vices  have  created  or  formed  into  arts. 

Arts.— Metaphysics,  logic,  rhetoric,  etc. 

52.  Which  served  the  past,  and  must  serve  the  times  which  are  to  come. 

55.  Nor  do  we  call  this  {y'eason)  a good  principle;  nor  that  {self-love)  a bad 
principle. 

56.  Each  works  its  end,  which  is,  etc. ; or  the  sub-phrase,  to  move  or  govern 
all,  may  be  in  apposition  with  end. 

58.  To  their  improper  operation  ascribe  all  ill. 

Ascribe.— Supply  we  before  it. 

59.  Acts.— In  the  obsolete  sense  of  moves  to  action. 

62,  Were  active— an  elegant  poetical  usage  for  would  he  active- 


28 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


Or,  meteor-like,  flame  lawless  through  the  void,  65 

Destroying  others,  by  himself  destroyed. 

Most  strength  the  moving  principle  requires; 

Active  its  task,  it  prompts,  impels,  inspires; 

Sedate  and  quiet,  the  comparing  lies. 

Formed  but  to  check,  deliberate,  and  advise.  70 

Self-love  still  stronger,  as  its  objects  nigh; 

Eeason’s  at  distance  and  in  prospect  lie: 

That  sees  immediate  good  by  present  sense; 

Eeason,  the  future  and  the  consequence. 

Thicker  than  arguments,  temptations  throng,  75 

At  best  more  watchful  this,  but  that  more  strong. 

The  action  of  the  stronger  to  suspend, 

Eeason  still  use,  to  reason  still  attend. 

Attention,  habit  and  experience  gains; 

Each  strengthens  reason,  and  self-love  restrains.  80 

Let  subtle  schoolmen  teach  these  friends  to  fight. 

More  studious  to  divide  than  to  unite; 

And  grace  and  virtue,  sense  and  reason  split, 

With  all  the  rash  dexterity  of  wit. 

Wits,  just  like  fools,  at  war  about  a name,  85 

Have  full  as  oft  no  meaning,  or  the  same. 

Self-love  and  reason  to  one  end  aspire. 

Pain  their  aversion,  pleajureTfieTfTreTsire; 

- But  greedy  that,  its  object  would  devour. 


67-69.  It  should  be  kept  in  mind  that  in  all  the  following  part  of  this  work, 
the  poet  treats  of  self-love  as  the  moving,  and  reason  as  the  comparing 
principle. 

72.  Reason’s  objects  are  at  a distance. 

74.  Reason  sees  the  future,  etc. 

79.  Attention  gams  habit  and  experience. 

81.  Schoolmen.— These  were  the  philosophers  and  divines  of  the  Middle 
Ages,  but  the  name  may  here  be  used  of  moralists  generally. 

These  friends. — Reason  and  self-love. 

82.  “ If  his  wit  be  not  apt  to  distinguish  or  find  differences,  let  him  study 
the  schoolmen,  for  they  are  ^ cumini  sectores'’  [‘dividers  of  cummin  seed,’ 
‘ strawsplitters  ’ ”]. — Bacon,  Essay  “ Of  Studies. 

83.  Sense.— The  five  senses  When  used  in  a moral  sense,  it  is  equiva' 
lent  to  Pope’s  expression  “ self-love.” 

Split. — Separate,  part. 

Let  them  point  out  nice  distinctions  between  grace  and  virtue,  etc. 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


29 


This  taste  the  honey,  and  not  wound  the  flower:  90 

/pleasure,  or  wrong  or  rightly  understood, 

Vour  greatest  evil,  or  our  greatest  good. 

III.  Modes  of  self-love  the  passions  we  may  call; 

^ ’Tis  real  good,  or  seeming,  moves  them  all: 

I But  since  not  every  good  we  can  divide,  95 

^ And  Reason  bids  us  for  our  own  provide, 

^ Passions,  though  selfish,  if  their  means  be  fair, 
if  List  under  Reason,  and  deserve  her  care; 

^ Those,  that  imparted,  court  a nobler  aim, 

^ Exalt  their  kind,  and  take  some  virtue’s  name.  100 

' ^ In  lazy  a^hy  let  Stoics  boast 

, Their  virtue  fixed:  ’tis  fixed  as  in  a frost; 
j Contracted  all,  retiring  to  the  breast; 

But  strength  of  mind  is  exercise,  not  rest: 
j The  rising  tempest  puts  in  act  the  soul,  105 

I Parts  it  may  ravage,  but  preserves  the  whole. 

On  life’s  vast  ocean  diversely  we  sail, 

Reason  the  card,  but  passion  is  the  gale; 

L ^ov  God  alone  in  the  still  calm  we  find, 

I: 

; He  mounts  the  storms,  and  walks  upon  the  wind.  1 10 

i ^ Passions,  like  elements,  though  born  to  fight, 
i 'j  Yet,  mixed  and  softened,  in  His  work  unite: 

These  ’tis  enough  to  temper  and  employ; 

But  what  composes  man,  can  man  destroy? 


98.  Liist.— Enlist. 

We  call  the  passions  modes  of  self-love, 

99.  Those,  that  imparted. — The  passions  that  have  reason  imparted  to 
them. 

101.  The  Stoics,  in  their  character  of  their  virtuous  man,  mc^^dg^iiatiaj^ 
desire,  aversion,. and  exultation;  included  love  and  parental  att'ection f riendi 

sMD~and^  general  ohari'fc  nr  tn  all  marUrmn;  tharThevcdy 

sidered  it  as  a duty,  arising  from  our  very  nature,  not  to  neglect  the  welfare 

oTTJ Ulilfd”S(5CI^y7out  to  be  ever  ready,  according  to  our  rank,  to  act  either 
' the  magistrate  or  the  private  citizen ; that  their  apathy  was  no  more  than  a 
freedom  from  perturbation,  from  irrational  and  excessive  agitations  of  the 
soul;  and  consequently,  that  the  strange  apathy  commonly  laid  to  their 
' charge,  and  in  the  demolishing  of  which  there  have  been  so  many  triumphs, 
►I  .was  an  imaginary  apathy,  mr  which  they  were  no  way  accountable, 
i,  ^ 108.  The  card. — The  paper  in  the  mariner’s  compass  on  which  the  points 
'I  f of  the  compass  are  marked. 

^ 114.  Can  man  destroy  that^  which  composes  man? 


30 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


Suffice  that  Keason  keep  to  Nature’s  road,  115 

Subject,  compound  them,  follow  her  and  God. 

Love,  hope,  and  joy,  fair  Pleasure’s  smiling  train. 

Hate,  fear,  and  grief,  the  family  of  Pain, 

These,  mixed  with  art,  and  to  due  bounds  confined. 

Make  and  maintain  the  balance  of  the  mind: 

The  lights  and  shades,  whose  well-accorded  strife 
Gives  all  the  strength  and  color  of  our  life. 

Pleasures  are  ever  in  our  hands  or  eyes; 

And  when  in  act  they  cease,  in  prospect  rise: 

Present  to  grasp,  and  future  still  to  find. 

The  whole  employ  of  body  and  of  mind. 

All  spread  their  charms,  but  charm  not  all  alike; 

On  different  senses  different  objects  strike; 

Hence  different  passions  more  or  less  infiame. 

As  strong  or  weak  the  organs  of  the  frame; 

.f*" 

i And  hence  one_maater--passion  in  the  breast, 

Like  Aaron’s  serpent,  s\^lldws  up  the  fe¥f."" 

As  man,  perhaps,  the  moment  of  his  breath, 

Keceives  the  lurking  principle  of  death; 

The  young  disease,  that  must  subdue  at  length. 

Grows  with  his  growth,  and  strengthens  with  his  strength: 

So,  cast  and  mingled  with  his  very  frame,  t 

The  mind’s  disease,  its  rulingmssion,  came;  ! 

Each  vital  humor  which  should  feedTthe  whole,  ( 

Soon  fiows  to  this,  in  body  and  in  soul:  140  i 

Whatever  warms  the  heart,  or  fills  the  head,  : ^ 

As  the  mind  opens,  and  its  functions  spread,  A 


il5.  Let  it  suffice  that  reason  keep.  The  verb  is  here  put  in  the  subjunc-  ■ 
tive  mood  after  that. 

121.  These  are  the  lights  and  shades--or,  these  make  the  lights  and  shades.] 
125.  To  gj'asp  present  pleasures,  and  to  find  future  pleasures,  are  the  whole  j 
employ-??ienf  of  body  and  of  mind.  ij 

181.  One  master  passion,  etc.  This  idea  we  believe  is  first  to  be  found  in 
the  writings  of  Longinus,  the  celebrated  critic  of  other  times,  who  attests 
the  sublimity  of  the  Scriptures,  in  the  passage,  “ God  said,  Let  thei  e be 
light,  and  there  w^as  light.” 

138.  The  mind’s  disease  came  to  be,  i.e.,  became,  etc. 


120 


125 


130 


135  ■ 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


31 


Imagination  plies  her  dangerous  art,  ^ 

And  pours  it  all  upon  the  peccant  part.  » 

ISTature  its  mother,  habit  is  its  nurse;  145 

Wit,  spirit,  faculties,  but  make  it  worse; 

Keason  itself  hut  gives  it  edge  and  power; 

As  Heaven’s  bless’d  beam  turns  vinegar  more  sour. 

We^  wretched  su^ects,  though  to  lawful  sway, 
In„thisjV-enk_qu£nn  s^^^  still  obey;  150 

Ah  ! if  she  lend  not  arms  as  well  as  rules, 

What  can  she  more  than  tell  us  we  are  fools  ? 

Teach  us  to  mourn  our  nature,  not  to  mend; 

A sharp  accuser,  but  a helpless  friend  ! 

Or  from  a judge  turn  pleader,  to  persuade  155 

The  choice  we  make,  or  justify  it  made; 
r : Proud  of  an  easy  conquest  all  along, 
l|%.  She  but  removes  weak  passions  for  the  strong. 

J So,  when  small  humors  gather  to  a gout, 

-The  doctor  fancies  he  has  driven  them  out.  160 

Yes,  Nature’s  road  must  over  be  preferred; 

Keason  is  here  no  guide,  but  still  a guard; 

VTis  hers  to  rectify,  not  overthrow, 

I v^nd  treat  this  passion  more  as  friend  than  foe: 
j j A mightier  power  the  strong  direction  sends,  165 

; f And  several  men  impels  to  several  ends : 

Like  varying  winds  by  other  passions  tossed. 

This  drives  them  constant  to  a certain  coast. 

Let  power  or  knowledge,  gold  or  glory,  please; 

^ Or  (oft  more  strong  than  all)  the  love  of  ease;  170 


150.  Weak  queen. — Reason. 

152.  What  can  she  do,  or  what  can  she  tell  ns,  etc. 

'''  153.  She  (reason)  can  teach  us,  etc. 

163.  To  rectify,  not  overthrow,  is  her  part.  The  infinitive  is  frequently 
put  after  the  verb  is,  of  which  it  is  the  subject,  and  whose  representative  is 
the  pronoun  it. 

165.  The  strong  direction— self-love. 

ITO.  Strong  is  an  adjective  agreeing  with  love,  unless  we  understand  the 
compound  relative  what.  An  adjective  or  participle,  or  relative,  included 
in  a parenthesis,  may  agree  with  its  noun,  or  antecedent  out  of  the  same, 


32 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


Through  life  ’tis  followed,  even  at  life’s  expense;  m 

The  merchant’s  toil,  the  sage’s  indolence,  F 

The  monk’s  humility,  the  hero’s  pride,  x 

All,  all  alike  find  Keason  on  their  side.  v 

The  Eternal  Art,  educing  good  from  ill,  175  ' 

Grafts  on  this  passion  our  best  principle:  ;; 

’Tis  thus  the  mercury  of  man  is  fixed. 

Strong  grows  the  virtue  with  his  nature  mixed; 

The  dross  cements  what  else  were  too  refined. 

And  in  one  interest  body  acts  with  mind.  1 80  ^ 

As  fruits,  ungrateful  to  the  planter’s  care, 

On  savage  stocks  inserted,  learn  to  bear,  ^ 

The  surest  virtues  thus  from  passions  shoot,  A 

Wild  j^ature’s  vigor  working  at  the  root.  9 

What  crops  of  wit  and  honesty  appear  . 

From  spleen,  from  obstinacy,  hate,  or  fear  ! 

See  anger,  zeal  and  fortitude  supply; 

Even  avarice,  prudence;  sloth,  philosophy; 

Lust,  through  some  certain  strainers  well  refined. 

Is  gentle  love,  and  charms  all  womankind;  190  | 

Envy,  to  which  the  ignoble  mind’s  a slave,  , ^ 

Is  enmlation  in  the  learned  or  brave;  ' _ 

Nor  virtue,  male  or  female,  can  we  name,  J ; 

But  what  will  grow  on  pride,  or  grow  on  shame. 

Thus  Nature  gives  us  (let  it  check  our  pride)  195  # 


i 

I 

and  the  contrary,  but  there  can  be  no  agreement  or  government  of  nouns  • ^ 
and  verbs  in  the  like  situation.  J 

171.  Through  life  it  is  followed,  etc.,  i.e.,  the  thing,  whatever  it  be,  that  ^ 
pleases  more  than  other  things. 

172.  The  merchant's  toil,  the  sage’s  indolence,  all  find  reason,  etc. 

177.  The  mercury  of  man— the  temperament  of  the  mind. 

179.  The  dross  cements  that  tchich  otherwise  would  he,  etc.  'k 

184.  Wild  nature’s  vigor  working,  etc.  A substantive  and  participle  are  i 
put  absolute,  in  the  nominative,  when  the  case  depends  on  no  other  word,  ff 

185.  What  is  often  used  as  a demonstrative  pronoun,  signifying  how  many,  K 

or  how  great.  w 

19.3.  Male  and  female  are  adjectives  agreeing  with  virtue.  C 

195.  Thus  nature  gives  us  ( — ) the  victue,  etc.  Some  have  allowed  an  ac-  9 
tive  verb  to  govern  two  objective  cases,  one  of  the  person,  and  the  other  of  9 
the  thing;  but  a preposition  may  always  be  understood  to  govern  the  ■ 
person.  I 


ESSA^  O^iT  MAN, 


33 


The  virtue  nearest  to  our  vice  allied; 

Reason  the  bias  turns  to  good  from  ill, 

And  Nero  reigns  a Titus,  if  he  will. 

The  fiery  soul  ab,h9Tf!2.^  Catiline, 

In  Decius  charms,  in  Curtins  is  divine:  200 

The  same  ambition  can  destroy  or  save, 

And  makes  a patriot  as  it  makes  a knave. 

IV.  This  light  and  darkness  in  our  chaos  joined. 

What  shall  divide  ? The  God  within  the  mind. 

Extremes  in  nature  equal  ends  produce,  205 

n man  they  join  to  some  mysterious  use; 

Though  each  by  turns  the  other’s  bound  invade, 

As,  in  some  well-wrought  picture,  light  and  shade,? 

And  oft  so  mix,  the  difference  is  too  nice 
Iiere  ends  the  virtue,  or  begins  the  vice, 
y ■ Fools  ! who  from  hence  into  the  notion  fall, 

\ That  vice  or  virtue  there  is  none  at  all. 

If  white  and  black  blend,  soften,  and  unite 
A thousand  ways,  is  there  no  black  or  white  ? 

Ask  your  own  heart,  and  nothing  is  so  plain;  ^ 215 

’Tis  to  mistake  them  costs  the  time  and  paiB 


210 


197.  Reason  turns  the  bias,  etc. 

198.  Titus  is  the  nominative  case  after  reigns. 

199.  Catiline.— See  note  on  Epistle  I.,  156, 

I 200.  Decius.— In  a war  against  the  neighboring  states,  the  Roman  army 
1 under  the  consuls  Titus  Manlius  Torquatus  and  Decius  Mus,  entered  Cam- 
i pania.  A decisive  battle  was  fought  near  Mount  Vesuvius.  The  Roman 
augurs  having  declared,  before  the  battle,  that  the  victory  would  belong  to 
the  army  which  should  lose  one  of  its  generals,  it  was  agreed  between  the 
consuls  that,  as  soon  as  either  wing  should  begin  to  give  way,  the  consul 
who  commanded  that  wing  should  devote  himself  for  his  country.  The 
wing  commanded  by  Decius  having  first  given  way,  he  executed  his  vow. 

, Rushing  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy,  he  fell  covered  with  wounds. 

Curtius,  Mettus  or  Metius.— A noble  Roman  youth  who  (according  to 
tradition)  heroically  sacrificed  his  life  for  the  welfare  of  his  country,  362  b.c. 
A chasm,  it  is  said,  had  opened  in  the  forum  or  market-place  in  Rome,  and 
the  soothsayers  predicted  that  some  great  calamity  would  happen  if  there 
were  not  thrown  into  the  chasm  the  best  wealth  of  the  state.  While  it  was 
proposed  to  consult  the  oracles,  and  determine  what  this  best  wealth  could 
be,  Curtius  appeared  on  horseback  and  in  full  armor,  and  exclaimed — 
“Rome  has  no  greater  riches  than  courage  and  arms.”  He  then  rode  over 
the  precipice  imo  the  chasm,  which  immediately  closed  over  him. 

204.  The  God  within  the  mind  shall  divide  this  light  and  darkness. 

208.  As  light  and  shade  invade  each  other’s  bounds. 


84 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


1 


^ V.  Vice  is  a monster  of  so  frightful  mien. 

' As  to  be  hated  needs  but  to  be  seen; 

Yet  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  her  face, 

We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then  embrace: 

\ But  where  the  extreme  of  vice  was  ne’er  agreed. 

JAsk  where’s  the  north?  at  York,  ’tis  on  the  Tweed; 
In  Scotland,  at  the  Orcades;  and  there. 

At  Greenland,  Zembla,  or  the  Lord  knows  where. 
No  creature  owns  it  in  the  first  degree. 

But  thinks  his  neighbor  farther  gone  than  he; 

Even  those  who  dwell  beneath  its  very  zone, 

Or  never  feel  the  rage,  or  never  own; 

What  happier  natures  shrink  at  with  affright 
The  hard  inhabitant  contends  is  right. 

Virtuous  and  vicious  every  man  must  be; 

Few  in  the  extreme,  but  all  in  the  degree: 

The  rogue  and  fool  by  fits  is  fair  and  wise; 

And  even  the  best,  by  fits,  what  they  despise. 

’Tis  but  by  parts  we  follow  good  or  ill; 

For,  vice  or  virtue,  self  directs  it  still; 

Each  individual  seeks  a several  goal; 

But  Heaven’s  great  view  is  one,  and  that  the  whole. 
That  counterworks  each  folly  and  caprice; 

That  disappoints  the  effect  of  every  vice; 

That,  happy  frailties  to  all  ranks  applied. 

Shame  to  the  virgin,  to  the  matron  pride. 

Fear  to  the  statesman,  rashness  to  the  chief, 

To  kings  presumption,  and  to  crowds  belief: 

That  virtue’s  ends  from  vanity  can  raise. 

Which  seeks  no  interest,  no  reward  but  praise; 

And  build  on  wants,  and  on  defects  of  mind. 


220 


225 


230 


235  ^ 


218.  To  he  hated  is  in  the  infinitive  mode  absolute. 
241.  That  applied  happy  faculties,  etc. 

245-7.  That  can  raise  and  can  build, 

247.  Build.— Prefix  “can”  from  245. 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


35 


The  joy,  the  peace,  the  glory  of  mankind. 

Heaven,  forming  each  on  other  to  depend, 

A master,  or  a servant,  or  a friend,  250 

Bids  each  on  other  for  assistance  call, 

TllTone  man’s  weakness  grows  the  strength  of  all. 

Wants,  frailties,  passions,  closer  still  ally 
The  common  interest,  or  endear  the  tie. 

To  these  we  owe  true  friendship,  love  sincere,  255 

Each  home-felt  joy  that  life  inherits  here; 

Yet  from  the  same  we  learn,  in  its  decline. 

Those  joys,  those  loves,  those  interests  to  resign: 

Taught  half  by  reason,  half  by  mere  decay. 

To  welcome  death,  and  calmly  pass  away.  260 

'^V'^hate’er  the  passion, — knowledge,  fame,  or  pelf, — 

Hot  one  will  change  his  neighbor  with  himself. 

The  learned  is  happy  nature  to  explore. 

The  fool  is  happy  that  he  knows  no  more; 

The  rich  is  happy  in  the  plenty  given,  265 

The  poor  contents  him  with  the  care  of  Heaven. 

See  the  blind  beggar  dance,  the  cripple  sing. 

The  sot  a hero,  lunatic  a king; 

The  starving  chemist  in  his  golden  views 
Supremely  blest,  the  poet  in  his  muse.  270 

See  some  strange  comfort  every  state  attend. 

And  pride  bestowed  on  all,  a common  friend: 

See  some  fit  passion  every  age  supply, 

Hope  travels  through,  nor  quits  us  when  we  die. 


261.  Let  the  passion  he  that  which  it  maybe;  or  whatever  may  be  con- 
sidered as  an  indefinite  pronoun,  in  which  sense  it  is  often  used. 

267.  It  is  a striking  truth,  that  those  people,  whom  we  might  suppose  the 
most  miserable,  are  apparently  the  most  happy,  and  that.  tr>o,  under  mis- 
taken views  of  their  own  character:  which  is  in  itself  sufficient  evidence 
that  all  ideas  of  happiness  are  illusory,  unless  founded  on  a rational  refer- 
ence to  the  concerns  of  another  world. 

269.  The  starving  chemist — reference  is  here  made  to  the  alchemists  who, 
for  a long  time,  were  employed  in  vain  search  after  the  philosopher's  stone, 
which  they  fondly  hoped  would  turn  everything  it  touched  into  gold.  See 
the  poet  in  his  muse  supremely  blest. 


36 


ESSAY  OK  MAK. 


Behold  the  child,  by  Nature’s  kindly  law,  275! 

Pleased  with  a rattle,  tickled  with  a straw:  | 

Some  livelier  plaything  gives  his  youth  deligl'S  I 

A little  louder,  but  as  empty  quite:  | 

Scarfs,  garters,  gold,  amuse  his  riper  stage,  | 

And  beads  and  prayer-books  are  the  toys  of  age:  280 

Pleased  with  this  bauble  still,  as  that  before;  | 

Till  tired  he  sleeps,  and  life’s  poor  play  is  I 

Meanwhile  opinion  gilds,  with  varying  rays. 

Those  painted  clouds  that  beautify  our  days;  - 

Each  want  of  happiness  by  hope  supplied,  285 

And  each  vacuity  of  sense  by  pride: 

These  build  as  fast  as  knowledge  can  destroy; 

Tn  Folly’s  cup  still  laughs  the  bubble,  joy; 

One  prospect  lost,  another  still  we  gain; 

And  not  a vanity  is  given  in  vain;  290 

Even  mean  self-love  becomes,  by  force  divine. 

The  scale  to  measure  others’  wants  by  tliine. 

See,  and  confess,  one  comfort  still  must  rise; 

’Tis  this.  Though  man’s  a fool,  yet  God  is  wise  1 


Argument  op  Epistub  III. 


OP  THE  NATURE  AND  STATE  OF  MAN  WITH  RESPECT  TO  SOCIETY.  ||j 


I The  Whole  universe  one  system  of  society,  verse  7,  etc.  Nothing  made  ( 
wholly  for  itself,  nor  yet  wholly  for  another,  verse  27.  The  happiness  of , 
animals  mutual,  verse  49,  11.  Reason  or  Instinct  operate  alike  to  the  go^< 
of  each  individual,  verse  79.  III.  Reason  or  instinct  operates  also  to  society 
in  aU  animals  verse  109.  How  far  society  carried  by  instinct,  verse 
How  much  farther  by  reason,  13I.  IV.  Of  that  which  is  called  the  state^ 

nature  verse  144  Reason  instructed  by  instinct  m the  inv  ention  of  tp 

"l69;  and  in  the  forms  of  society,  verse  179.  V.  Origin  of  pohtical  soc- 


I 


279.  Scarfs,  garters.-Badges  of  the  orders  of  knighthood. 

J^-f^Fven  mein  becomes  the  scale.  This,  perhaps,  the  poet 

leads  u^todesire  good  rteatmen^  thin'e-thine  is  a pronoun,  snppljfi 

r,rgVe"of  aVoSlcrandV^^^ 


I 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


37 


eties,  verse  199.  Origin  of  monarchy,  verse  207.  VI.  Patriarcltal  govern 
ment,  verse  215.  Origin  of  true  religion  and  government,  from  the  same 
principle  of  love,  verse  231,  etc.  Origin  of  superstition  and  tyranny,  from 
the  same  principle  of  fear,  verse  241,  etc.  The  influence  of  self  dove  operat- 
ing to  the  social  and  public  good,  verse  269.  Restoration  of  true  religion 
and  government  on  their  first  principle,  verse  283.  Mixed  government, 
vei-st  288.  Various  forms  of  each,  and  the  true  end  of  all,  verse  303,  etc. 

Epistle  III. 

1.  Here  then  we  rest:  “ The  Universal  Cause 
Acts  to  one  end,  but  acts  by  various  laws.” 

In  all  the  madness  of  superfluous  health, 

The  trim  of  pride,  the  impudence  of  wealth, 

Let  this  great  truth  be  present  night  and  day:  5 

But  most  be  present,  if  we  preach  or  pray. 

Look  round  our  world,  behold  the  chain  of  love  \, 
Combining  all  below  and  all  above. 

See  plastic  Nature  working  to  this  end, 

The  single  atoms  each  to  other  tend,  lo 

Attract,  attracted  to,  the  next  in  place 
Formed  and  impelled  its  neighbor  to  embrace. 

See  matter  next  with  various  life  endued, 

Press  to  one  center  still,  the  general  good. 

See  dying  vegetables  life  sustain,  1 5 

See  life  dissolving  vegetate  again: 

All  forms  that  perish  other  forms  supply, 

(By  turns  we  catch  the  vital  breath,  and  die,) 

Like  bubbles  on  the  sea  of  matter  borne. 

They  rise,  they  break,  and  to  that  sea  return.  20 


2.  To  one  end. — The  good  of  the  whole. 

4.  Trim.— Ornament. 

5.  Let  this  great  truth,  etc.  What  is  this  great  h'uth  f The  sentence 
marked  with  a quotation  answers. 

9.  Plastic. — Having  power  to  give  form. 

10.  See  the  single  atoms,  each  tend  toward  the  other.  Each,  or  every  one, 
is  a distributive  expression  for  a number  taken  singly,  and  in  apposition 
with  atoms. 

11.  See  them  attract — aivracted  to  is  a participle  from  the  complex  verb 
to  attract  to. 

£ 14.  Good,  in  the  end  of  the  line,  is  in  apposition  with  center. 


38 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


ITothiiig  is  foi’eign;  parts  relate  to  whole; 

One  all-extending,  all-preserving  soul 
Connects  each  being,  greatest  with  the  least; 

Maoe  beast  in  aid  of  man,  and  man  of  beast;  ' 

All  served,  all  serving:  nothing  stands  alone; 

The  chain  holds  mi,-  and  where  it  ends  unknow^. 

Has  God,  thou  fool ! worked  solely  for  thy  good, 
Thy  joy,  thy  pastime,  thy  attire,  thy  food  ? 

Who  for  thy  table  feeds  the  wanton  fawn. 

For  him  as  kindly  spreads  the  flowery  lawn: 

Is  it  for  thee  the  lark  ascends  and  sings  ? 

Joy  tunes  his  voice,  joy  elevates  his  wings. 

Is  it  for  thee  the  linnet  pours  his  throat  ? 

Loves  of  his  own  and  raptures  swell  the  note. 

The  bounding  steed  you  pompously  bestride 
Shares  with  his  lord  the  pleasure  and  the  pride. 

Is  thine  alone  the  seed  that  strew's  the  plain  ? 

The  birds  of  Heaven  shall  vindicate  their  grain. 
Thine  the  full  harvest  of  the  golden  year  ? 

Fart  pays,  and  justly,  the  deserving  steer; 

The  hog,  that  plows  not,  nor  obeys  thy  call. 

Lives  on  the  labors  of  this  lord  of  all. 

Know,  Nature’s  children  all  divide  her  care; 

The  fur  that  warms  a monarch  warmed  a bear. 
While  man  exclaims,  “ See  all  things  for  my  use  !” 
“ See  man  for  mine !”  replies  a pampered  goose: 
And  just  as  short  of  reason  ho  must  fall. 

Who  thinks  all  made  for  one,  not  one  for  all. 
Grant  that  the  powerful  still  the  weak  control; 


25 


30 


35 


40;: 

'h 


45 


23  Greatest.— Prefix  “the.”  , . . . x,  • 

27  Has  God  worked,  etc.  Worlds  here  made  a regular  verb,  which  i 
seldom  the  case,  except  in  the  sea-phrase.  “ he  worked  hispasmge.  feo  1 
some  of  Pope’s  other  writings,  we  find  catched  instead  of  caught. 

29  30.  He  who.  etc.,  spreads  ^ ^ 

34’  Lioves  of  liis  own  and  raptures. — Loves  and  raptures  of  his  own. 
40  Part  pays — a part  of  the  products  of  the  year  must  be  expended  1 
support  of  the  ox,  by  whose  labors  they  were  increased. 

49.  Grant  man  to  be,  etc. 


ESSAY  ON"  MAN. 


39 


Be  man  the  wit  and  tyrant  of  the  whole:  50 

Nature  that  tyrant  checks;  he  only  knows, 

And  helps,  another  creature's  wants  and  woes. 

Say,  will  the  falcon,  stooping  from  above, 

Smit  with  her  varying  plumage,  spare  the  dove  ? 

Admires  the  jay  the  insect’s  gilded  wings  ? 55 

Or  hears  the  hawk  when  Philomela  sings  ? 

Man  cares  for  all:  to  birds  he  gives  his  woods, 

To  beasts  his  pastures,  and  to  fish  his  floods. 

For  some  his  interest  prompts  him  to  provide, 

For  more  his  pleasure,  yet  for  more  his  pride:  60 

All  feed  on  one  vain  patron,  and  enjoy 
The  extensive  blessing  of  his  luxury. 

That  very  life  his  learned  hunger  craves, 

^e  saves  from  famine,  from  the  savage  saves; 

^Nay,  feasts  the  animal  he  dooms  his  feast,  65 

And,  till  be  ends  the  being,  makes  it  blest, 

JfcVhich  sees  no  more  the  stroke,  or  feels  the  pain, 

Than  favored  man  by  touch  ethereal  slain. 

The  creature  had  his  feast  of  life  before; 

Thou  too  must  perish,  when  thy  feast  is  o’er  ! 70 

To  each  unthinking  being.  Heaven,  a friend, 

Gives  not  the  useless  knowledge  of  its  end: 

To  man  imparts  it;  but  with  such  a view 
As,  while  he  dreads  it,  makes  him  hope  it  too; 

The  hour  concealed,  and  so  remote  the  fear,  75 

Death  still  draws  nearer,  never  seeming  near. 


50,  Wit.— Intellectual  master. 

53-6.  Tlhe  falcon^  jay , and  hawk  regard  not  the  coloi-s.  brilliancy,  or  musi- 
cal powers  of  those  creatures  which  they  devour.  They  have  but  one  ob- 
ject, which  is,  to  satisfy  hunger. 

54.  Varying.— That  is,  varying  with  her  position  and  the  different  angles 
in  which  the  reflected  light  strikes  upon  the  eye. 

56.  Philomela.— The  nightingale.  Philomela,  daughter  of  Pandion, 
King  of  Athens,  is  fabled  to  have  been  changed  into  a nightingale. 

68.  Several  of  the  ancients,  and  many  of  the  Orientals  since,  esteemed 
those  who  were  struck  by  lightning  as  sacred  persons,  and  the  particular 
favorites  of  Heaven. — Pope. 

73.  View,— Vision,  prospect, 


40 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


Great  standing  miracle  ! that  Heaven  assigned  ^ 

Its  only  thinking  thing  this  turn  of  mind.  ^ 

II.  Whether  with  reason,  or  with  instinct  blest, 

Know,  all  enjoy  that  power  which  suits  them  best:  8o 

To  bliss  alike  by  that  direction  tend. 

And  find  the  means  proportioned  to  their  end. 

Say,  where  full  instinct  is  the  unerring  guide, 

What  pope  or  council  can  they  need  beside  ? 

Reason,  however  able,  cool  at  best,  85 

Cares  not  for  service,  or  bat  serves  when  pressed, 

Stays  till  we  call,  and  then  not  often  near; 

But  honest  instinct  comes  a volunteer, 

Sure  never  to  o’ershoot,  but  just  to  hit. 

While  still  too  wide  or  short  is  human  wit;  90 

Sure  by  quick  nature  happiness  to  gain. 

Which  heavier  reason  labors  at  in  vain. 

This  too  serves  always,  reason  never  long; 

One  must  go  right,  the  other  may  go  wrong. 

See,  then,  the  acting  and  comparing  powers,  95 

One  in  their  nature,  which  are  two  in  ours; 

And  reason  raise  o’er  instinct  as  you  can. 

In  this  ’tis  God  directs,  in  that  ’tis  man. 

Who  taught  the  nations  of  the  field  and  flood 
To  shun  their  poison,  and  to  choose  their  food  ? 100 

Prescient,  the  tides  or  tempests  to  withstand, 

Build  on  the  wave,  or  arch  beneath  the  sand  ? 


77.  Exclamatory  sentences,  like  this,  seem  to  have  an  independent  sense  ; 
in  the  third  person,  as  in  the  second,  when  an  addi’essis  made,— Great  standv  \ 
ing  miracle;  that  heaven  did  assign  to  its  only  thinking  thing  (or  man)  this 
turn  of  mind. 

86.  Pre.ssed,— From  press,  originally  to  engage  men  by  prest  or  earnest- 
money  for  the  public  service,  from  L.  prcesto,  in  readiness  or  in  hand. 

97.  Kaise.— Prefer  to,  exalt. 

101.  Who  gave  them  foresight  to  withstand  ? prescAent  is  an  adjective  agree- 
ing with  them  undei-stood. 

102.  The  halcyon  or  kingfisher  was  reputed  by  the  ancient.s  “to  build v 

upon  the  wave.”  and  the  entrance  to  the  fioating  nest  was  supposed  to  be) 
contrived  in  a manner  to  admit  the  bird,  and  exclude  the  water  of  the  1 
sea.  V 


ESSAY  ON  MAN, 


41 


Who  made  the  spider  parallels  design, 

Sure  as  Demoivre,  without  rule  or  line  ? 

Who  bid  the  stork,  Columbus-like,  explore  105 

Heavens  not  his  own,  and  worlds  unknown  before  ? 

Who  calls  the  council,  states  the  certain  day  ? 

Who  forms  the  phalanx,  and  who  points  the  way  ? 

III.  God,  in  the  nature  of  each  being,  founds 
te  proper  bliss,  and  sets  its  proper  bounds:  no 

But,  as  He  framed  a whole  the  whole  to  bless, 

On  mutual  wants  built  mutual  happiness: 

So,  from  the  first,  eternal  order  ran, 

And  creature  linked  to  creature  man  to  man. 

Whate’er  of  life  all-quickening  ether  keeps,  1 1 5 

Or  breathes  through  air,  or  shoots  beneath  the  deeps, 

Or  pours  profuse  on  earth,  one  nature  feeds 
The  vital  fiame,  and  swells  the  genial  seeds, 

Hot  man  alone,  but  all  that  roam  the  wood. 

Or  wing  the  sky,  or  roll  along  the  flood,  120 

Each  loves  itself,  but  not  itself  alone. 

Each  sex  desires  alike,  till  two  are  one. 

Hor  ends  the  pleasure  with  the  fierce  embrace: 

They  love  themselves,  a third  time,  in  their  race. 

Thus  beast  and  bird  their  common  charge  attend,  1 2 5 

The  mothers  nurse  it,  and  the  sires  defend; 

The  young  dismissed  to  wander  earth  or  air. 

There  stops  the  instinct,  and  there  ends  the  care: 


104.  Demoivre. — An  eminent  mathematician,  born  in  France  in  1667,  but 
driven  from  his  country  by  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  in  1685,  he 
settled  in  London,  where  he  died  in  1754.  He  was  an  intimate  friend  of 
Newton. 

115-118.  One  nature  feeds  the  vital  flame,  and  swells  the  genial  seeds  of 
everything  of  lifos  which  all  quickening  either  keeps  or  breathes,  or  shoots, 
or  pours,  etc.,  the  verbs  being  connected,  in  each  case,  by  or.  This  construc- 
tion may,  however,  be  doubted,  and  we  are  inclined  to  adopt  the  following: 
Let  or  be  taken  for  eUher  as  or  whether,  it  will  read  thus — One  nature  feeds, 
etc.,  of  whatever,  etc  , all  quick’ning  either  keeps  (or  sustains)  either  as  (or 
ivhether)  it  breathes,  or  shoots,  or  pours  (i.e.,  puts  forth)  profusely,  etc. 

115.  Ether. — The  medium  assumed  in  astronomy  and  physics  as  filling 
all  space.  It  was  believed  by  some  of  the  Stoics  to  be  the  animating  prin- 
ciple of  all  things. 


42 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


The  link  dissolves,  each  seeks  a fresh  embrace, 

Another  love  succeeds,  another  race.  130 

A longer  care  man’s  helpless  kind  demands; 

That  longer  care  contracts  more  lasting  bands: 

Eeflection,  reason,  still  the  ties  improve. 

At  once  extend  the  interest  and  the  love; 

With  choice  we  fix,  with  sympathy  we  burn.  135 

Each  virtue  in  each  passion  takes  its  turn ; 

And  still  new  needs,  new  helps,  new  habits  rise, 

That  graft  benevolence  on  charities. 

Still  as  one  brood,  and  as  another  rose. 

These  natural  love  maintained,  habitual  those:  140 

The  last,  scarce  ripened  into  perfect  man. 

Saw  helpless  him  from  whom  their  life  began: 

Memory  and  forecast  just  returns  engage. 

That  pointed  back  to  youth,  this  on  to  age; 

While  pleasure,  gratitude,  and  hope  combined,  145 

Still  spread  the  interest,  and  preserved  the  kind. 

^ IV.  Nor  think  in  Nature’s  state  they  blindly  trod; 

\The  state  of  Nature  was  the  reign  of  God: 

Self  -love  and  social  at  her  birth  began. 

Union  the  bond  of  all  things,  and  of  man.  150 

Pride  then  was  not;  nor  arts,  that  pride  to  aid; 

Man  walked  with  beast  joint-tenant  of  the  sT?ade; 

The  same  his  table,  and  the  same  his  bed; 

No  murder  clothed  him,  and  no  murder  fed. 

In  the  same  temple,  the  resounding  wood,  1 5 5 

All  vocal  beings  hymned  their  equal  God: 


130.  Another  love  succeeds,  another  race  succeeds. 

134.  Interest.— Advantage. 

135.  Fix.— Become  constant. 

138.  Charities. — The  natural  affections,  love. 

142  Saw  him  helpless  from  whom  their  life  began. 

144.  That— memory-  This  {tor ecSi^t) points,  etc. 

149.  That  is,  Self-love  and  social  love  began  at  Nature's  birth. 

151.  Nor  icere  arts,  to  aid  that  pride. 

152.  Joint  tenant  is  in  apposition  with  man. 

155.  Wood  is  in  apposition  with  temple. 


ESSAY  ON  MAN^ 


43 


The  shrine  with  gore  unstained,  with  gold  undrest, 
Unbribed,  unbloody,  stood  the  blameless  priest: 

Heaven’s  attribute  was  universal  care. 

And  man’s  prerogative  to  rule,  but  spare.  i6o 

Ah  ! how  unlike  the  man  of  times  to  come  ! 

Of  half  that  live  the  butcher  and  the  tomb; 

Who,  foe  to  Nature,  hears  the  general  groan, 

Murders  their  species,  and  betrays  his  own. 

But  just  disease  to  luxury  succeeds,  165 

And  every  death  its  own  avenger  breeds; 

The  fury-passions  from  that  blood  began, 

And  turned  on  man  a fiercer  savage,  man. 

See  him  from  Nature  rising  slow  to  art ! 

To  copy  instinct  then  was  reason’s  part;  170 

Thus,  then,  to  man  the  voice  of  Nature  spake — . 

“ Go,  from  the  creatures  thy  instructions  take: 

Learn  from  the  birds  what  food  the  thickets  yield;  Jw 
Learn  from  the  beasts  the  physic  of  the  field; 

Thy  arts  of  building  from  the  bee  receive;  175 

Learn  of  the  mole  to  plow,  the  worm  to  weave; 

Learn  of  the  little  nautilus  to  sail. 

Spread  the  thin  oar,  and  catch  the  driving  gale. 

Here,  too,  all  forms  of  social  union  find, 


157.  The  shrine  ivas,  etc.  Unstained  and  undrest  are  participial  adjectives, 
having  lost  their  original  nature  of  pure  participles  by  being  joined  with 
the  privative  un.  The  privative  always  works  this  chance,  when  it  makes  the 
part  with  which  it  is  joined,  imply,  that  the  state  or  act,  which  the  part 
taken  by  itself,  would  express,  never  existed,  or  was  never  done.  Thus, 
wn-drest  here  means,  that  it  never  had  been  drest^  etc  Undrest,  when  de- 
rived from  the  verb  to  undress,  to  divest  of  clothes,  is  a participle. 

160.  To  rule  supplies  a nominative  after  was  understood,  and  spare  is  con- 
nected with  it. 

161.  Ah!  how  unlike  was  he  to  the  man  of  times  to  come.  Butcher  and 
tomb  connected  are  in  apposition  with  man.  Man  kills  and  devours  for 
food,  half  that  live. 

167.  The /nr?/- passion s—/nrt/  is  a substantive  used  as  an  adjective. 

168.  Man,  in  tue  end  of  the  line,  is  in  apposition  with  savage. 

Fiercer. — The  positive  here  is  not  supplied. 

173.  It  is  a caution  commonly  practiced  amongst  navigators,  when  throv  n 
upon  a desert  coast,  and  in  want  of  refreshments,  to  observe  what  fruits 
have  been  touched  by  the  birds,  and  to  venture  on  these  without  furthei- 
hesitation. 

177.  The  idea  of  the  nautilus  sailing  is  now  rejected. 


44 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


And  hence  let  reason,  late,  instruct  mankind;  i8o 

Here  subterranean  works  and  cities  see; 

There  towns  aerial  on  the  waving  tree. 

Learn  each  small  people’s  genius,  policies. 

The  ants’  republic,  and  the  realm  of  bees: 

How  those  in  common  all  their  wealth  bestow,  185 

And  anarchy  without  confusion  know; 

And  these  forever,  though  a monarch  reign. 

Their  separate  cells  and  properties  maintain. 

Mark  what  unvaried  laws  preserve  each  state, 

Laws  wise  as  Nature,  and  as  fixed  as  fate.  190 

In  vain  thy  reason  finer  webs  shall  draw. 

Entangle  Justice  in  her  net  of  law. 

And  right,  too  rigid,  harden  into  wrong; 

Still  for  the  strong  too  weak,  the  weak  too  strong. 

Yet  go  ! and  thus  o'er  all  the  creatures  sway,  195 

Thus  let  the  wiser  make  the  rest  obey; 

And,  for  those  arts  mere  instinct  could  afford. 

Be  crowned  as  monarchs,  or  as  gods  adored.” 

V.  Great  Nature  spoke;  observant  man  obeyed; 

Cities  were  built,  societies  were  made:  200 

Here  rose  one  little  state;  another  near 

Grew  by  like  means,  and  joined  through  love  or  fear. 

Did  here  the  trees  with  ruddier  burdens  bend. 

And  there  the  streams  in  purer  rills  descend  ? 

What  war  could  ravish,  commerce  could  bestow;  205 

And  he  returned  a friend,  who  came  a foe. 

Converse  and  love  mankind  might  strongly  draw. 

When  love  was  liberty,  and  Nature  law. 

Thus  states  were  formed:  the  name  of  king  unknown. 

Till  common  interest  placed  the  sway  in  one.  210 


192.  In  vain  entangle  justice,  etc. 

193.  And  harden  right,  made  too  rigid,  into  wrong. 
198.  Monarchs— See  note  to  ver.  87,  Epis.  I, 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


45 


’Twas  virtue  only  (or  in  arts  or  arms, 

Diffusing  blessings,  or  averting  harms). 

The  same  which  in  a sire  the  sons  obeyed, 

A prince  the  father  of  a people  made.  214 

VI.  Till  then,  by  Nature  crowned,  each  patriarch  sat, 
King,  priest,  and  parent  of  his  growing  state; 

On  him,  their  second  Providence,  they  hung, 

Their  law  his  eye,  their  oracle  his  tongue. 

He  from  the  wondering  furrow  called  the  food. 

Taught  to  command  the  fire,  control  the  flood,  220 

Draw  forth  the  monsters  of  the  abyss  profound, 

Or  fetch  the  aerial  eagle  to  the  ground; 

Till,  drooping,  sickening,  dying,  they  began 
Whom  they  revered  as  god  to  mourn  as  man: 

Then,  looking  up  from  sire  to  sire,  explored  225 

One  great  first  Father,  and  that  first  adored; 

Or  plain  tradition,  that  this  all  begun. 

Conveyed  unbroken  faith  from  sire  to  son; 

The  worker  from  the  work  distinct  was  known, 

And  simple  reason  never  sought  but  one.  230 

Ere  wit  oblique  had  broke  that  steady  light, 

Man,  like  his  Maker,  saw  that  all  was  right; 

; To  virtue,  in  the  paths  of  pleasure  trod. 

And  owned  a father  when  he  owned  a God, 

Love  all  the  faith  and  all  the  allegiance  then,  235 

> For  Nature  knew  no  right  divine  in  men, 

No  ill  could  fear  in  God;  and  understood 
I A sovereign  being  but  a sovereign  good. 

I 211-214.  ’Twas  virtue  only — 

The  same  virtue,  which  in  a sii  e the  sons  obey’d. 

That  made  a prince  the  father  of  a people. 

217.  Providence  is  in  apposition  with  him. 

219 — 222.  He  taught  to  command,  to  control,  to  draw,  or  fetch. 

223-224.  Till  they  began  to  mourn  him,  drooping,  sick'ning,  dying,  as  man, 
whom  they  revered  as  God.  Him  is  the  antecedent  of  whom.  With  regard 
to  7nan  and  God,  see  note  to  line  87,  Epistle  I. 

223,  The  participles  apply  to  the  patriarch. 

227.  This  All,  i.e,,  this  universal  frame  of  nature. 

230.  Simple  reason  never  sought  but  one  God  or  worker. 

211.  The  allusion  is  to  the  refraction  of  light  in  passing  through  the  ob* 
lique  sides  of  the  glass  prism. 

236.  The  divine  right  of  kings,  which,  at  certain  periods,  has  been  so 
; .trongly  urged,  has  no  foundation  in  nature 


46 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


True  faith,  true  policy,  united  ran. 

That  was  but  love  of  God,  and  this  of  man.  240 

Who  first  taught  souls  enslaved  and  realms  undone, 

The  enormous  faith  of  many  made  for  one; 

That  proud  exception  to  all  Nature’s  laws, 

T’  invert  the  world,  and  counterwork  its  cause  ? 

Force  first  made  conquest,  and  that  conquest,  law;  245 
Till  superstition  taught  the  tyrant  awe. 

Then  shared  the  tyranny,  then  lent  it  aid. 

And  gods  of  conquerors,  slaves  of  subjects  made. 

She,  midst  the  lightning’s  blaze  and  thunder’s  sound. 

When  rocked  the  mountains,  and  when  groaned  the  ground. 
She  taught  the  weak  to  bend,  the  proud  to  pray,  251 

To  power  unseen,  and  mightier  far  than  they: 

She,  from  the  rending  earth  and  bursting  skies. 

Saw  gods  descend,  and  fiends  infernal  rise: 

Here  fixed  the  dreadful,  there  the  blest  abodes;  255 

Fear  made  her  devils,  and  weak  hope  her  gods; 

Gods  partial,  changeful,  passionate,  unjust. 

Whose  attributes  were  rage,  revenge,  or  lust; 

Such  as  the  souls  of  cowards  might  conceive. 

And,  formed  like  tyrants,  tyrants  would  believe.  260 

Zeal  then,  not  charity,  became  the  guide; 

And  hell  was  built  on  spite,  and  heaven  on  pride. 

Then  sacred  seemed  th’  ethereal  vault  no  more; 

Altars  grew  marble  then,  and  reeked  with  gore: 

Then  first  the  panmn  tasted  living  food;  265 


242.  Many  made  for  one  is  a substantive  phrase  governed  by  the  preposi- 
tion of. 

Enormous. — Out  of  all  rule. 

244.  Cause.— Object  of  its  existence. 

249.  She.— Superstition. 

259.  Such  gods  as— As  is  a relative  pronoun  when  it  follows  the  indefinite 
pronoun  such,  agreeing  with  its  antecedent:  or,  when  its  antecedent  has  an 
adjective  qualified  by  the  adverb  so  agreeing  with  it. 

264-268.  Altars  grew  marble,  i.e.,  became  the  scenes  of  cruelty.  Marble 
may  be  considered  as  an  adjective  agreeing  with  altars.  Next  he  smeared 
his  grim  idol,  etc.  And  played  the  God,  i e.,  made  the  popular  idea  that  he 
could  wield,  or  stay  the  judgments  of  God,  an  engine  against  his  foe.  En- 
gine is  in  apposition  with  God. 

265.  Elamen. — Among  the  Romans,  a priest  devoted  to  the  service  of  a 
particular  god,  and  so  called  from  the  fillet  which  he  wore  round  his  head. 
The  word  is  the  same  as  the  ’LoiMiJilame.n,  tTomfilum,  a fillet  of  wool. 


ESSAY  ON’  MAN. 


47 


'Next  his  grim  idol  smeared  with  human  blood; 

With  Heaven’s  own  thunders  shook  the  world  below, 

And  played  the  god  an  engine  on  his  foe. 

So  drives  self-love,  through  just,  and  through  unjust. 

To  one  man’s  power,  ambition,  lucre,  lust:  270 

The  same  self-love,  in  all,  becomes  the  cause 
Of  whuA-j:estrains4rim-,  -gavnrnment.and  laws. 

For  what  one  likes,  if  others  like  as  well. 

What  serves  one  will,  when  many  wills  rebel  ? 

How  shall  he  keep  what,  sleeping  or  awake,  275 

A weaker  may  surprise,  a stronger  take  ? 

His  safety  must  his  liberty  restrain: 

All  join  to  guard  what  each  desires  to  gain. 

Forced  into  virtue  thus,  by  self-defense. 

Even  kings  learned  justice  and  benevolence:  280 

• Self-love  forsook  the  path  it  first  pursued, 

And  found  the  private  in  the  public  good. 

’Twas  then  the  studious  head  or  generous  mind, 

Follower  of  God,  or  friend  of  human-kind, 

Poet  or  patriot,  rose  but  to  restore  285 

The  faith  and  moral  Hature  gave  before; 

Relumed  her  ancient  light,  not  kindled  new; 

If  not  God’s  image,  yet  His  shadow  drew; 

Taught  power’s  due  use  to  people  and  to  kings; 

Taught  nor  to  slack,  nor  strain  its  tender  strings,  290 

The  less,  or  greater,  set  so  justly  true, 

That  touching  one  must  strike  the  other  too; 

* Till  jarring  interests  of  themselves  create 
The-  ac(M>rdingjnusia.  oLa  wnlL-mixed  state, 


272.  Government  and  laws,  connected,  are  in  apposition  with  the  ante- 
cedent part  of  what. 

285-291.  Rose,  relumed,  drew,  taught,  and  set  are  all  connected,  having 
the  same  nominative  continued,  viz.,  head,  etc. 

287.  Kelume.— To  light  anew,  to  rekindle,  from  L.  re,  again,  lumen, 
light. 

292  Touching  one  is  an  imperfect  phrase,  or  part  of  a sentence,  and  is  the 
subject  of  the  verb  mtist  strike. 

294.  The  deduction  and  application  of  the  foregoing  principles,  with  the 
use  or  abuse  of  civil  and  ecclesiastical  policy,  was  intended  for  the  subject 
of  the  third  book.— Popw 


48 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


Such  is  the  world’s  great  harmony,  that  springs 
From  order,  union,  full  consent  of  things; 

Where  small  and  great,  where  weak  and  mighty  made 
To  serve,  not  suffer,  strengthen,  not  invade; 

More  powerful  each  as  needful  to  the  rest, 

And,  in  proportion  as  it  blesses,  blest; 

Draw  to  one  point,  and  to  one  center  bring 
Beast,  man,  or  angel,  servant,  lord,  or  king. 

For  forms  of  government  let  fools  contest; 

Whate’er  is  best  administered  is  best: 

^or  modes  of  faith  let  graceless  zealots  fight; 
jHis  can’t  be  wrong  whose  life  is  in  the  right: 

In  faith  and  hope  the  world  will  disagree, 

^But  all  mankind’s  concern  is  charity: 

^ All  must  be  false  that  thwart  this  cne  great  end; 

And  all  of  Goj,  that  bless  mankind,  or  mend. 

Man,  like  the  generous  vine,  supported  lives; 

The  strength  he  gains  is  from  the  embrace  he  gives. 
On  their  own  axis  as  the  planets  run, 

Yet  make  at  once  their  circle  round  the  sun, 

So  two  consistent  motions  act  the  soul, 

And  one  regards  itself,  and  one  the  whole. 

X Thus  God  and  Nature  linked  the  general  frame, 
\And  bade  self-love  and  social  be  the  same. 


295 


300 


305 


310 


315 


■ : { 

296.  Consent.— In  this  use  obsolete.  i 

297-301  (Being)  made  to  serve,  etc.  Each  (being  made)  more  powerful,  i 
and  (each  being),  blest,  etc.  W^ere  small  and  great,  etc.  Draw,  etc.  . , 

298.  “Where  the  small  and  weak  are  made  to  serve,  not  suffer,”  “the 
great  and  mighty  to  strengthen,  not  invade.”  \ 

306.  His  mode  o//a^Y/l  can't  be  wrong,  etc. 

309,  310.  All  modes  of  faith  must  be  false,  etc.  And  all  modes  must  be  of  ‘ 
God,  etc.  ; 

314.  At  once.— At  one  and  the  same  time.  f 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


49 


Argument  of  Epistle  IV. 

OF  THE  NATURE  AND  STATE  OF  MAN  WITH  RESPECT  TO  HAPPINESS. 

I.  False  notions  of  happiness,  philosphical  and  popular,  answered  from 
verses  19  to  26.  II.  It  is  the  end  of  all  men,  and  attainable  by  aU,  verse  29. 
God  intends  happiness  to  be  equal;  and,  to  be  so,  it  must  be  social,  since  all 
particular  happiness  depends  on  general,  and  since  he  governs  by  general, 
not  particular  laws,  verse  35.  As  it  is  necessary  for  order,  and  the  peace 
, and  welfare  of  society,  that  external  goods  should  be  unequal,  happiness  is 
not  made  to  consist  in  these,  verse  49.  But  notwithstanding  that  inequality, 
the  balance  of  happiness  among  mankind  is  kept  even  by  Providence,  by  the 
two  passions  of  hope  and  fear,  verse  67.  III.  What  the  happiness  of  indi« 
■ viduals  is,  as  far  as  is  consistent  with  the  constitution  of  this  world ; and  that 
^ the  good  man  has  here  the  advantage,  verse  77.  The  error  of  imputing  tc 
virtue  what  are  only  the  calamities  of  nature  or  of  fortune,  verse  93.  IV. 
The  folly  of  expecting  that  God  should  alter  His  general  laws  in  favor  of 
particulars,  verse  121.  V.  That  we  are  not  judges  who  are  good;  but  that 
whoever  they  are,  they  must  be  happiest,  verse  131,  etc.  VI.  That  external 
goods  are  not  the  proper  rewards,  but  often  inconsistent  with,  or  destructive 
I of  virtue,  verse  167.  That  even  these  can  make  no  man  happy  without 
:•  virtue:  instanced  in  riches,  verse  185;  honors,  verse  193;  nobility,  verse  205; 
greatness,  verse  217;  fame,  verse  237;  superior  talents,  verse  259,  etc.,  with 
pictures  of  human  infelicity  in  men  possessed  of  them  all,  verse  269,  etc. 
I VII.  That  virtue  only  constitutes  a happiness  whose  object  is  universal,  and 
^ whose  prospect  eternal,  verse  309.  That  the  perfection  of  virtue  and  happi- 
ness consists  in  a conformity  to  the  order  of  Providence  here,  and  a resigna- 
tion to  it  here  and  hereafter,  verse  327,  etc. 

Epistle  IV. 

0 Happiness  ! our  being’s  end  and  aim  ! 

• Good,  pleasure,  ease,  content ! whate’er  thy  name: 

I That  something  still  which  prompts  the  eternal  sigh, 

. For  which  we  bear  to  live,  or  dare  to  die; 

f 

Which  still  so  near  us,  yet  beyond  us  lies,  5 

O’erlooked,  seen  double  by  the  fool  and  wise: 

Plant  of  celestial  seed  ! if  dropped  below, 

Say,  in  what  mortal  soil  thou  deign’st  to  grow  ? 

Fair  opening  to  some  court’s  propitious  shine, 

Or  deep  with  diamonds  in  the  flaming  mine  ? 10 

1,  2.  End  aud  aim  connected,  good,  etc.,  are  in  apposition  with  happinef^s. 
Whatever— see  note  to  line  26,  Epistle  II. 

6.  Overlooked  is  a perfect  participle,  agreeing  with  happiness.  Overlooked 
by  those  who  are  simple  enough  to  seek  it  in  anything  but  virtue;  seen 
double  by  those  who  admit  anything  else  to  have  a share  in  procuring  it. 

9.  Growest  the  opening  fair,  etc. — or  gro west  those  in  the  fair  opening. 

Shine.— Splendor,  brightness,  not  common  as  a noun. 


50 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


Twined  with  the  wreaths  Parnassian  laurels  yield, 

Or  reaped  in  iron  harvests  of  the  field  ? 

Where  grows  ? where  grows  it  not  ? If  vain  our  toil, 

We  ought  to  blame  the  culture,  not  the  soil: 

Fixed  to  no  spot  is  happiness  sincere,  1 5 

’Tis  nowhere  to  be  found,  or  everywhere: 

’Tis  never  to  be  bought,  but  always  free; 

And,  fied  from  monarchs,  St.  John  ! dwells  with  thee. 

I.  Ask  of  the  learned  the  way  ! the  learned  are  blind; 

This  bids  to  serve,  and  that  to  shun  mankind;  20 

Some  place  the  bliss  in  action, ,^ome  in  easfi^.. 

Those  call  it  pleasure,  and  contentment  these; 

Some,  sunk  to  beasts,  find  pleasure  end  in  pain; 

Some,  swelled  to  gods,  confess  e’en  virtue  vain; 

Or,  indolent,  to  each  extreme  they  fall,  25 

To  trust  in  everything,  or  doubt  of  all. 

Who  thus  define  it,  say  they  more  or  less 
Than  this,  that  happiness  is  happiness  ? 

II.  Take  Nature’s  path,  and  mad  Opinion’s  leave; 

All  states  can  reach  it,  and  all  heads  conceive;  30 

Obvious  her  goods,  in  no  extreme  they  dwell; 

There  needs  but  thinking  right^  and  meaning  well; 

And  mourn  our  various  portions  as  we  please. 

Equal  is  common  sense,  and  common  ease. 


11.  Parnassian.— Relating  to  Parnassus,  a mountain  in  Greece,  sacred  to 
Apollo  and  the  Muses. 

12.  The  allusion  is  to  military  fame.  , 

15.  Sincere, — Clean,  pure,  the  original  meaning. 

21.  Action. — Epicureans. — Pope.  ' 

They  were  the  followers  of  Epicurus,  a Greek  philosopher,  who  taught  ( 
that  pleasure  was  the  chief  good.  Pope  does  not  give  their  real  character, 
nor  that  of  the  Stoics.  ' 

Ease.— Stoics.— Pope.  See  note  101  on  Epistle  II. 

23.  Epicureans.— Pope. 

24.  Stoics. — Pope. 

25.  Indolent  is  an  adjective  agreeing  with  they. 

26.  Skeptics. — Pope.  i 

27.  28.  Do  they,  who  thus  define  it,  say  more  or  leis  than  to  say  this,  etc., 

in  which  case,  to  say  would  follow  than  in  the  infinitive,  which  it  does  in  ■ 
place  of  a noun,  and  sometimes,  of  the  indicative  or  potential  mode.  . 

29.  Take  nature’s  path  and  leave  mad  opinion’s  paih. 

32.  There  is  needed  only  thinking  right  and  7neoMing  well.  Here  the  ac-  g 

tive  form  of  the  verb  is  used  for  the  passive,  and  the  substantive  phrase  is  | 
the  nominative  case.  J 

33.  Mourn— see  note  to  line  49.  Epistle  X.  ■ 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


51 


Remember,  man,  ^‘the  Universal  Cause  35 

Acts  not  by  partial,  but  by  general  laws,” 

And  makes  what  happiness  we  justly  call, 

Subsist,  not  in  tlm  good  of  one,  but  all. 

There’sliot  a blessing  individuals  lind, 

But  some  way  leans  and  hearkens  to  the  kind;  40 

No  bandit  fierce,  no  tyrant  mad  with  pride. 

No  caverned  hermit  rests  self-satisfied: 

Who  most  to  shun  or  hate  mankind  pretend, 

Seek  an  admirer,  or  would  fix  a friend. 

Abstract  what  others  feel,  what  others  think,  45 

All  pleasures  sicken,  and ‘all  glorias  sink: 

Each  has  his  share;  and  who  would  more  obtain, 

Shall  find  the  pleasure  pays  not  half  the  pain. 

Order  is  Heaven’s  first  law;  and,  this  contest. 

Some  are,  and  must  be,  greater  than  the  rest,  50 

More  rich,  more  wise;  but  who  infers  from  hence 
That  such  are  happier,  shocks  all  common  sense. 

Heaven  to  nia^inHlmparti^  .wa.cQiifess. 

If  all  are  equal  in  their  happiness: 

But  mutual  wants  this  happiness  increase;  55 

All  Nature’s  difference  keeps  all  Nature’s  peace. 

Condition,  circumstance  is  not  the  thing; 

Bliss  is  the  same  in  subject  or  in  king. 

In  who  obtain  defense,  or  who  defend. 

In  him  who  is,  or  him  who  finds  a friend:  60 

Heaven  breathes  through  every  member  of  the  whole 
One  common  blessing,  as  one  common  soul. 


37.  And  makes  that,  which  we  call  happiness,  to  subsist,  etc. 

43.  They,  who  most  pretend  to  shun,  or  hate,  mankind,  seek,  etc. 

45.  Abstract — see  note  to  ver.  49,  Epistle  I. 

49.  And  this  confest.  This  is  in  the  nominative  case  absolute  with  confest^ 
or  {being)  confest. 

51.  But  he,  who  infers  from  hence,  that  such  are  happier,  shocks,  etc. 
Hence  is  an  adjective  put  after  from,  as  a substantive  in  the  objective  case, 
or  from  hence  is  an  adverbial  phrase. 

57.  Condition. — Rank. 

59.  In  {those)  who  obtain  defense,  etc. 

62.  As  {it  breathes)  one  common  souL 


52 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


But  Fortune’s  gifts  if  each  alike  possessed, 

And  each  were  equal,  must  not  all  contest  ? 

If  then  to  all  men  happiness  was  meant,  65 

God  in  externals  could  not  place  content. 

Fortune  her  gifts  may  variously  dispose. 

And  these  be  happy  called,  unhappy  those; 

But  Heaven’s  just  balance  equal  will  appear. 

While  those  are  placed  in  hope,  and  these  in  fear:  70 

Hot  present  good  or  ill,  the  joy  or  curse. 

But  future  views  of  better,  or  of  worse. 

O sons  of  earth  ! attempt  ye  still  to  rise, 

By  mountains  piled  on  mountains,  to  the  skies  ? 

Heaven  still  with  laughter  the  vain  toil  surveys,  75 

And  buries  madmen  in  the  heaps  they  raise. 

III.  Know,  all  the  good  that  individuals  find. 

Or  God  and  Nature  meant  to  mere  mankind. 

Reason’s  whole  pleasure,  all  the  joys  of  sense. 

Lie  in  three  words,  health,  peace,  and  competence.  80 

But  health  consists  with  temperance  alone; 

And  peace  ! 0 virtue  ; peace  is  all  thy  own. 

The  good  or  bad  the  gifts  of  fortune  gain; 

But  these  less  taste  them,  as  they  worse  obtain. 

Say,  in  pursuit  of  profit  or  delight,  85 

Who  risk  the  most,  that  take  wrong  means  or  right  ? 

Of  vice  or  virtue,  whether  blessed  or  cursed. 

Which  meets  contempt,  or  which  compassion  first  ? 

Count  all  the  advantage  prosperous  vice  attains,  ^ 

’Tis  but  what  virtue  flies  from  and  disdains:  90  ‘ 

68.  These  may  be  called  happy,  those  may  be  called  unhappy.  -<^1 

71,  72.  Presen  t good  or  ill  is  not  the  joy  or  curse. 

But  our  future  views,  etc  , are  the  joy  or  curse.  *1 

74.  Referring  to  the  Titans  or  giants  of  mythology,  who,  in  their  war  | 
against  the  gods,  attempted  to  scale  the  heavens  by  piling  mountain  upon  j| 
mountain.  .11 

78.  Mere  mankind.— Man  in  his  present  condition.  w 

80.  Lie  agrees  with  pleasure  and  joys,  in  the  line  preceding;  or  rather  withll 
)ood,  in  the  77th  line,  with  which  pleasu7'es  and  joys  are  in  apposition.  II 
84.  Worse.— By  worse  means  obtain  them.  |l 

86.  Do  they  risk  most,  that  take  wrong  means,  or  they  that  take  right  11 
means.  11 

90.  ’Tis  only  that  {advantage)  from  which,  etc.  11 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


53 


And  grant  the  bad  what  happiness  they  would, 

One  they  must  want,  which  is  to  pass  for  good. 

Oh  ! blind  to  truth,  and  God’s  whole  scheme  below, 

Who  fancy  bliss  to  vice,  to  virtue  woe  ! 

Who  sees  and  follows  that  great  scheme  the  best,  95 

Best  knows  the  blessing,  and  will  most  be  blest. 

But  fools  the  good  alone  unhappy  call. 

For  ills  or  accidents  that  chance  to  all. 

See  Falkland  dies,  the  virtuous  and  the  just  I 

See  godlike  Turenne  prostrate  on  the  dust ! - icxd 

See  Sidney  bleeds  amid  the  martial  strife  ! 

Was  this  their  virtue,  or  contempt  of  life  ? 

Say,  was  it  virtue,  more  though  Heaven  ne’er  gave, 
Lamented  Digby  ! sunk  thee  to  the  grave  ? 

Tell  me,  if  virtue  made  the  son  expire,  105 

Why,  full  of  days  and  honor,  lives  the  sire  ? 

Why  drew  Marseilles’  good  bishop  purer  breath. 

When  Nature  sickened,  and  each  gale  was  death  ? 

/t)r  why  so  long  (in  life  if  long  can  be) 

Lent  Heaven  a parent  to  the  poor  and  me  ? no 

What  makes  all  physical  or  moral  ill  ? 

"^here  deviates  Nature,  and  here  wanders  will. 

God  sends  not  ill,  if  rightly  understood, 


91.  Grant — see  note  to  line  49,  Epistle  I. 

92.  One  happiness  they  must  want  (i.e.,  must  he  destitute  of)  which  is  to 
pass  for  good. 

94  Bliss  to  vice. — Bliss  granted  to  vice. 

99.  See  Falkland  dies— Lord  Viscount  Falkland  was  Secretary  of  State  to 
Charles  I.,  and  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Newbury,  September  20,  1643. 
He  fell  in  the  thirty-fourth  year  of  his  age. 

100.  Henry  de  la  Tour,  Viscount  of  Turenne.,  a famous  general,  was  born 
at  Sedan,  1611,  and  was  Marshal  of  France  in  1644.  He  was  most  careful 
of  those  under  his  command;  but  justly  reproached  bj’’  Voltaire  for  his 
cruel  devastations  of  the  countries  through  which  he  marched. 

101.  Sidney, — Sir  Philip  Sidney,  who  died  of  a wound  received  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Zutphen,  September  22,  1586.  The  anecdote  of  his  generosity  to  the 
dying  soldier  is  well  known. 

104.  Digby.— The  Hon.  Robert  Digby,  who  died  April  19,  1726.  He  was  a 
friend  of  Pope,  who  wrote  his  epitaph. 

106.  The  sire.— William,  fifth  Lord  Digby,  died  December,  1752.  The  Epis- 
tle was  published  iti  1734. 

107.  Henry-Francis-Xavier  De  Biilsunce,  denominated  “ the  good 
Bishop  of  Marseilles,”  distinguished  himself  by  his  fortitude  and  charity, 
during  the  dreadful  plague  which  afflicted  that  citj"  in  1720  and  1721. 

110.  Pope’s  mother  lived  to  the  age  of  91.  She  died  in  1733. 


54 


ESSAY  ON  MAIN. 


Or  partial  ill  is  universal  good, 

Or  change  admits,  or  Nature  lets  it  fall  1 1 5 

Short,  and  but  rare,  till  man  improved  it  all. 

We  just  as  wisely  might  of  Heaven  complain 
That  righteous  Abel  was  destroyed  by  Cain, 

As  that  the  virtuous  son  is  ill  at  ease 

When  his  lewd  father  gave  the  dire  disease.  1 20 

Think  we,  like  some  weak  prince,  the  Eternal  Cause 
Prone  for  His  favorites  to  reverse  His  laws  ? 

^ “ lY.  Shall  burning  ^tna,  if  a sage  requires. 

Forget  to  thunder,  and  recall  her  fires  ? 

On  air  or  sea  new  motions  be  impressed,  125 

O blameless  Bethel ! to  relieve  thy  breast  ? 

When  the  loose  mountain  trembles  from  on  high. 

Shall  gravitation  cease  if  you  go  by  ? 

Or  some  old  temple,  nodding  to  its  fall. 

For  Chartres’  head  reserve  the  hanging  wall  ? 130 

V.  But  still  this  world,  so  fitted  for  the  knave. 

Contents  us  not.  A better  shall  we  have  ? 

A kingdom  of  the  just  then  let  it  be: 

But  first  consider  how  those  just  agree. 

The  good  must  merit  God’s  peculiar  care;  135 

But  who,  but  God,  can  tell  us  who  they  are  ? 

One  thinks  on  Calvin  Heaven’s  own  spirit  fell; 

Another  deems  him  instrument  of  hell; 

If  Calvin  feel  Heaven’s  blessing  or  its  rod,  . jl\ 

This  cries  there  is,  and  that,  there  is  no  God.  140 


115,  116.  Or  change  admits  it  (i.e.,  ill),  or  nature,  in  its  course,  lets  it  hap- 
pen, short  and  but  rare,  i.e.,  in  a small  degree,  and  but  rai  ely,  etc. 

121,  122.  Do  we  think  the  Eternal  Cause  prone,  like  some  weak  prince,  to 
reverse  his  laws  for  his  favorites? 

123.  There  is  an  evident  mixing  up  here  of  the  story  of  the  philosopher 
Empedocles,  who  is  said  to  have  thrown  himself  into  one  of  the  craters  of 
uEtna,  with  that  of  the  naturalist  Pliny,  who  lost  his  life  during  an  eruption 
of  Vesuvius,  A.D.  79. 

126.  A Yorkshire  country  gentleman,  who  suffered  from  asthma. 

128.  You.  not  Bethel,  but  Bolingbroke.  to  whom  the  Epistle  is  addressed. 

130.  Chartres. — “ A man  infamous  for  all  manner  of  vices,  who  acquired 
an  immense  fortune  by  a constant  attention  to  the  vices,  wants,  and  follies 
of  mankind.  He  died  in  1731.”  Pope,  Note  to  Moral  Essays,  iii.  20. 

137.  Calvin,  one  of  the  most  eminent  of  the  Church  reformers,  was  born 
at  Noyon,  in  Picardy,  in  1509,  and  died  at  Geneva  in  1564. 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


55 


mat  shocks  one  part  will  edify  the  rest, 

^Tor  with  one  system  can  they  all  be  blest. 

The  very  best  will  variously  incline, 

And  what  rewards  your  virtue,  punish  mine. 

Whatever  is,  is  ri^ht.  This  world,  ’tis  true,  145 

Was  made  for  Caesar,  but  for  Titus  too:  ^ 

And  which  more  blest  ? who  chained  his  country,  say,  ^ / 
Or  he  whose  virtue  sighed  to  lose  a day  ? 

VI.  ‘‘  But  sometimes  virtue  starves,  while  vice  is  fed.” 
What  then  T~~ls~thWreward~of  virtue  bread  ? 150 


That  vice  may  merit,  ’tis  the  price  of  toil; 

The  knave  deserves  it  when  he  tills  the  soil 
The  knave  deserves  it  when  he  tempts  the  main,^ 

Where  folly  fights  for  kings,  or  dives  for  gain. 

The  good  man  may  be  weak,  be  indolent;  155 

Nor  is  his  claim  to  plenty,  but  content. 

But  grant  him  riches,  your  demand  is  o’er. 

‘‘No:  shall  the  good  want  health,  the  good  want  power  ?” 
Add  health,  and  power,  and  every  earthly  thing: 

“ Why  bounded  power  ? why  private  ? why  no  king  ? 160 

Nay,  why  external  for  internal  given  ? 

Why  is  not  man  a god,  and  earth  a heaven  ?” 

Who^k  and  reason  thus,  will  scarce  conceive 
God  gives  enough,  while  He  has  more  to  give: 

Immense  the  power,  immense  were  the  demand;  165 

Say,  at  what  part  of  Nature  will  they  stand  ? 

What  nothing  earthly  gives  or  can  destroy. 

The  soul’s  calm  sunshine,  and  the  heartfelt  joy. 

Is  virtue’s  prize.  A better  would  you  fix  ? 

Then  give  humility  a coach  and  six,  170 


H6.  The  allusion  is  to  Addison’s  tragedy  of  Cato,  Act  v.  sc.  1: 

“ This  world  was  made  for  C8Bsar;” 
and  Av'^t  iv.  sc.  4:  “ Justice  gives  way  to  force:  the  conquered  world 
Is  Caesar’s;  Cato  has  no  business  in  it.” 

148.  The  Roman  Emperor  Titus,  having  remembered  one  evening  that  he 
had  bestowed  no  gift  during  the  day,  exclaimed,  “ My  friends,  I have  lost  a 
day.” 

160.  WTiy  no  king?  Why  is  the  good  man  not  a king? 

163.  They  who  ask  and  reason  thus,  will  scarce  conceive,  etc. 

165.  If  the  power  were  immense,  the  demand  would  be  immense. 


56 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


Justice  a conqueror’s  sword,  or  truth  a gown, 

Or  public  spirit  its  great  cure,  a crown. 

Weak,  foolish  man  ! will  Heaven  reward  us  there, 
With  the  same  trash  mad  mortals  wish  for  here  ? 


The  boy  and  man  an  individual  makes,  175 

Yet  sighest  thou  now  for  appl^  and  for  cakes  ? 

Go,  like  the  Indian,  in  another  life 
Expect  thy  dog,  thy  bottle,  and  thy  wife. 

As  well  as  dream  such  trifles  are  assigned. 

As  toys  and  empires,  for  a godlike  mind:  180 

Eewards,  that  either  would  to  virtue  bring 
Ho  joy,  or  be  destructive  of  the  thing: 


How  oft,  by  these,  at  sixty  are  undone 
The  virtues  of  a saint  at  twenty-one  ! 

To  whom  can  riches  give  repute  or  trust. 

Content  or  pleasure,  but  the  good  and  just? 

Judges  and  senates  have  been  bought  for  gold. 
Esteem  and  love  were  never  to  be  sold. 

O fool ! to  think  God  hates  the  worthy  mind. 

The  lover  and  the  love  of  human  kind. 

Whose  life  is  healthful,  and  whose  conscience  clear. 
Because  he  wants  a thousand  pounds  a year. 

V_  x^duor  iind  shame  from  no  condition  rise; 

^Act  well_y;our  part : there  allJJheJxonor 
Fortune  in  men  has  some'smalTdTfference  niade: 
One  flaunts  in  rags,  one  flutters  in  brocade; 

The  cobbler  aproned,  and  the  parson  gowned. 


185  . 


190 


195 


171.  Gown.— An  academic  g:own.  or  it  may  mean  a Lord  Chancellor’s  gown. 

172.  This  may  refer  to  William  III.,  or,  as  stated  by  Elwin,  to  George  II., 

who  when  he  became  king  abandoned  the  opposition  (who  were^  Pope’s 
friends)  which  he  had  patronized  when  Prince  of  Wales.  ' ' v 

177.  See  Epistle  I.,  99. 

178-180.  Expect  thy  dog,  etc.,  as  well  as  dream  Ih'eam  may  be  put  in  . 
the  infinitive  mode,  after  as  well  as,  allowing  expect  to  be  in  the  imperative  ,! 
—or,  using  it  in  the  potential,  dream  may  be  connected  with  it  in  the  same  I 
mode.  As  toys  and  empires  are— as  is  a relative  pronoun  in  the  nominative 
case  after  are. 

181.  T7ie.se  a?’e  rewards. 

189.  To  think  is  in  the  infinitive  absolute.  ."i 

190.  Love. — The  beloved,  the  object  of  love. 

192  Because  he  [pos.ses.ses  not]  a thousand  pounds  a year.  A 

196.  Flaunts,  Jlutiey's.— It  has  been  suggested  that  these  words  might  with  1 
more  propriety  have  changed  places*  ’ 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


57 


The  friar  hooded,  and  the  monarch  crowned. 

“What  differ  more,”  you  cry,  “ than  crown  and  cowl?” 

I’ll  tell  you,  friend  ! a wise  man  and  a fool.  200 

You’ll  find,  if  once  the  monarch  acts  the  monk, 

Or,  cobbler-like,  the  parson  will  be  drunk. 

Worth  makes  man,  and  want  qfjt  the  Mlow; 

The  rest  is  all  but  leather  or  prunella. 

Stuck  o’er  with  titles,  and  hung  round  with  strings,  205 
That  may’st  by  kings,  or  mistresses  of  kings : 

Boast  the  pure  blood  of  an  illustrious  race, 

In  quiet  flow  from  Lucrece  to  Luerece: 

But  by  your  fathers’  worth  if  yours  you  rate. 

Count  mo  those  only  who  were  good  and  great.  210 

Go  I if  your  ancient  but  ignoble  blood 

Has  crept  through  scoundrels  ever  since  the  flood, 

Go  ! and  pretend  your  family  is  young, 

Hor  own  your  fathers  have  been  fools  so  long. 

What  can  ennoble  sots,  or  slaves,  or  cowards?'  215 

Alas  ! not  all  the  blood  of  all  the  Howards. 

Look  next  on  greatness:  say  where  greatness  lies. 

“ Where  but  among  the  heroes  and  the  wise  !” 

Heroes  are  much  the  same,  the  point’s  agreed, 

From  Macedonia’s  madman  to  the  Swede.  220 

The  whole  strange  purpose  of  their  lives  to  find. 


201-203  You’ll  find  it,  etc.,  that  worth  makes,  etc. 

204.  Prunella. — A strong  woolen  stuff,  generally  black,  and  probably  so 
called  from  its  prune  color.  The  clergyman’s  gown  was  made  of  it, 

205-208.  That  thou  mayest  be  stuck  o'er  with  titles  and  hung  round  with 
strings,  by  kings,  etc. ; in  quiet  flow,  etc.  Flow  is  here  a noun.  It  may  be 
further  observed  concerning  the  expressions,  stuck  o'er  and  hung  round, 
that  when  a preposition  or  any  participle  is  annexed  to  a veib,  in  order  to 
carry  out  the  sense,  they  may  be  considered  as  forming  a complex  verb, 
Lucrece  was  the  seat  of  a very  ancient  and  honorable  family  in  France, 
and  is  here  introduced  to  nobility  of  longstanding. 

205.  Strings. — The  cord  or  ribbon  of  the  orders  of  knighthood;  in  French, 
cordon. 

206.  That,  in  apposition  to  the  previous  line. 

208.  From  Boileau’s  Satire  V. 

216.  Not  all  the  blood  of  all  the  Howards  can  ennoble  them. 

220.  Alexander  the  Great  and  Charles  XII.  of  Sweden.  The  former  was  no 
madman.  The  epithet  is  more  applicable  to  the  latter. 

221.  The  whole  strange  purpose  of  their  lives,  is  to  find  an  enemy,  or  to 
make  an  enemy  of  all  mankind. 


58 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


Or  make,  an  enemy  of  all  mankind  ! 

Not  one  looks  backward,  onward  still  he  goes. 

Yet  ne’er  looks  forward  farther  than  his  nose. 

No  less  alike  the  politic  and  wise;  225 

All  sly  slow  things,  with  circumspective  eyes: 

Men  in  their  loose  unguarded  hours  they  take. 

Not  that  themselves  are  wise,  but  others  weak. 

But  grant  that  those  can  conquer,  these  can  cheat 

’Tis  phrase  absurd  to  call  a villain  great:  230 

Who  wickedly  is  wise,  or  madly  brave. 

Is  but  the  more  a fool,  the  more  a knave. 

Who  noble  ends  by  noble  means  obtains, 

Or,  failing,  smiles  in  exile  or  in  chains. 

Like  good  Aurelius  let  him  reign,  or  bleed  235 

^Like  Socrates:  that  man  is  great  indeed  ! 

What’s  fame  ? A fancied  life  in  others’  breath, 

A thing  beyond  us,  even  before  our  death. 

Just  what  you  hear,  you  have,  and  what’s  unknown 
The  same,  my  lord,  if  Tully’s,  or  your  own.  240 

All  that  we  feel  of  it  begins  and  ends 
In  the  small  circle  of  our  foes  or  friends; 

To  all  beside  as  much  an  empty  shade 


225.  Alike.  Compare  much  the  same,  verse  219. 

226.  All  are  sly,  slow  things,  etc. 

228.  Not  because  themselves  are  wise,  but  because  others  are  weak. 

230.  Great.  Mark  the  pronunciation. 

232.  He,  who  wickedly  is  wise,  etc.,  is,  etc. 

235.  Aurelius.— Marcus  Aurelius  Antoninus,  Roman  emperor,  a. d.  161-180. 
He  was  the  flower  of  the  Stoical  philosophy,  and  became  after  his  death  al 
most  an  object  of  worship. 

Bleed  is  improperly  used  in  reference  to  the  death  of  Socrates,  the  cele- 
brated Greek  philosopher  (born  469  b.c.),  who  died  of  poison. 

240.  My  lord. — Bolingbroke. 

Tully.— Marcus  Tullius  Cicero,  the  greatest  orator  of  Rome,  106-43  b c. 

243-246.  To  all  beside  their  foes  and  friends^  a Eugene  living  is  as  much 
an  empty  shade,  as  a Caesar  dead  is.  When  Julius  Caesar  had  marched  his 
army  to  the  banks  of  the  river  Rubicon,  which  the  Romans  had  always  con- 
sidered as  “ the  sacred  boundary  of  their  domestic  empire,”  a struggle  arose 
between  his  patriotism  and  his  ambition,  and  he  said  to  one  of  his  generals, 
” If  I pass  this  river,  what  miseiies  shall  I bring  upon  my  country ! and  if  I 
now  stop  short.  I am  undone  ” Here  his  ambition  triumphed,  and  plunging 
into  the  river,  he  sought  the  dominion  of  the  world. 

244.  Eugene. — Prince  Eugene  of  Savoy,  who  gained  great  military  fame 
in  the  wars  of  the  Spanish  succession.  He  died  in  1736,  two  years  after  the 
Epistle  was  published. 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


59 


A Eugene  living,  as  a Caesar  dead; 

Alike,  or  when  or  where  they  shone  or  shine,  245 

Or  on  the  Rubicon,  or  on  the  Rhine. 

A wit's  a feather,  a rod-;  ^ ^ 

An  honest  man’s  the  noblest  work  of  God.  j 
Fame  but  frbm'death  a villain’s  name  canFs^ej 
As  justice  tears  his  body  from  the  grave;  ! j 250 

When  what  to  oblivion  better  were  resigned,  i [ 

ft 

Is  hung  on  high,  to  poison  half  mankind.  * } 

All  fame  is  foreign,  but  of  true  desert,  ji  ! 

Plays  round  the  head,  but  comes  not  to  the  heart: 

One  self-approving  hour  whole  years  outweighs  255 

Of  stupid  starers  and  of  loud  huzzas; 

And  more  true  joy  Marcellus  exiled  feels, 

Than  Caesar  with  a senate  at  his  heels. 

In  parts  superior  what  advantage  lies  ? 

Tell,  for  you  can,  what  is  it  to  be  wise  ? 260 

’Tis  but  to  know  how  little  can  be  known; 

To  see  all  others’  faults,  and  feel  our  own; 

Condemned  in  business  or  in  arts  to  drudge. 

Without  a second,  or  without  a judge: 

Truths  would  you  teach,  or  save  a sinking  land  ? 265 

All  fear,  none  aid  you,  and  few  understand. 


247.  Two  explanations  of  this  line  may  be  quoted:  (1)  The  wise,  such  as 
Shakespeare,  Bacon,  and  Newton,  are  compared  to  feathers,  which  are 
flimsy  and  showy;  and  the  heroes,  who  are  the  scourges  of  mankind,  are 
compared  to  rods.  (2)  The  feather  alludes  to  the  pen  with  which  the  wit 
writes,  and  the  rod  to  the  baton  which  was  the  symbol  of  the  authority  of 
the  general. 

248.  Honest. — Full  of  honor,  honorable,  upright. 

251.  When  that  which  would  be  better  resigned  to  oblivion,  is  hung  on 
high,  etc. 

252.  An  allusion  to  the  disinterment  and  hanging  on  a gibbet  of  the  bodies 
of  Cromwell,  Bradshaw,  and  Ireton,  on  January  30,  1661. 

256.  Of  stupid  starers. — This  is  a trope,  by  which  the  actor  is  put  for  the 
act. 

Huzzas. — Mark  the  pronunciation  then  in  use. 

257.  Marcellus.— One  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  party  of  Pompey  op- 
posed to  Caesar.  After  the  battle  of  Pharsalus,48B.c.,  in  which  Pompey  was 
signally  defeated,  he  retired  to  Mitylene.  He  was  afterwards  pardoned  by 
Caesar,  but  was  assassinated  on  his  journey  to  Home. 

262,  263.  ’Tis  but  to  see. — ’Tis  but  to  be  condemned.  All  would  fear,  none 
would  aid  you,  etc. 


60 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


Painful  pre-eminence  ! yourself  to  view 
Above  life’s  weakness,  and  its  comforts  too. 

Bring,  then,  these  blessings  to  a strict  account. 

Make  fair  deductions:  see  to  what  they  ’mount:  270 

How  much  of  other  each  is  sure  to  cost; 

How  each  for  other  oft  is  wholly  lost; 

How  inconsistent  greater  goods  with  these; 

How  sometimes  life  is  risked,  and  always  ease. 

Think,  and,  if  still  the  things  thy  envy  call,  275 

Say,  would'st  thou  be  the  man  to  whom  they  fall  ? 

To  sigh  for  ribbons  if  thou  art  so  silly, 

Mark  how  they  grace  Lord  Umbra,  or  Sir  Billy. 

Is  jellowjdirt  the  passion  of  thy  life  ? 

Look  but  on  Gripus,  or  on  Gripus’  wife.  280 

If  parts  allure  thee,  think  how  Bacon  shined,  ■ 

The  wisest,  brightest,  meanest,  of  mankind: 

Or,  ravished  with  the  whistling  of  a name, 

See  Cromwell  damned  to  everlasting  fame  ! ; 

If  all,  united,  thy  ambition  call,  285  ; 

From  ancient  story  learn  to  scorn  them  all.  1 

There,  in  the  rich,  the  honored,  famed,  and  great; 

See  the  false  scale  of  happiness  complete  ! 

In  hearts  of  kings,  or  arms  of  queens  who  lay. 

How  happy  those  to  ruin,  these  betray  ! 290  i 

Mark  by  what  wretched  steps  their  glory  grows,  \ 

From  dirt  and  sea- weed  as  proud  Venice  rose;  | 


267.  268.  To  view  yourself  above  life"' s weakness  and  its  comforts  too,  is  a ( 
painful  pre-eminence.  1 

275.  If  thou  art  so  silly  as  to  sigh  for  ribbons.  - 

Call.— Call  forth.  i 

278.  No  real  characters  may  be  intended.  v. 

279.  The  yellow  dirt  (i  e.,  gold  or  wealth)  the  passion  of  thy  life.  f 

2B0.  Some  say  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Marlborough  are  meant,  othci  s * 

Mr/Wortley  Montagu  and  liady  Mary  Montagu. 

^282.  Bacon  (1561-I6J6)  — The  greatest  of  England’s  prose  writers.  He 

pleaded  guilty  to  certain  abuses  and  charges  of  receiving  bribes  duiing  his  I 
capacity  of  Lord  Chancellor  of  England,  for  which  he  was  sentenced  to  pay  ' 
an  enormous  fine,  and  to  be  imprisoned  in  the  Tower  during  the  King's 
pleasure.  f 

283.  Or,  if  thou  art  ravished  with  the  whistling  of  a name  I 

286.  Ancient  story. — History.  ^ 

289,  290.  How  happy  are  those,  to  ruin  who  lay  in  the  hearts  of  kings,  and 
how  happy  are  these  to  betray,  who  lay  in  the  arms  of  queens.  ! 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


61 


! In  each  how  guilt  and  greatness  equal  ran, 

I And  all  that  raised  the  hero  sunk  the  man: 

Now  Europe’s  laurels  on  their  brows  behold,  295 

' But  stained  with  blood,  or  ill-exchanged  for  gold:  , 

Then  see  them  broke  with  toils  or  sunk  in  ease. 

Or  infamous  for  plundered  provinces. 

O wealth  ill-fated  ! which  no  act  of  fame 

E’er  taught  to  shine,  or  sanctified  from  shame  ! 30c 

What  greater  bliss  attends  their  close  of  life  ? 

Some  greedy  minion,  or  imperious  wife 
The  trophied  arches,  storied  halls  invade. 

And  haunt  their  slumbers  in  the  pompous  shade. 

Alas  ! not  dazzled  with  their  noontide  ray,  305 

Compute  the  morn  and  evening  to  the  day; 

The  whole  amount  of  that  enormous  fame, 

^ A tale  that  blends  their  glory  with  their  shame,! 

Know,  then,  this  truth,  enough  for  man  to  know, 

' V"  ‘ ‘ Virtue  aloim-is-happiness,.b^W^.” . 310 

The  only  point  whereTiuman  bliss  stands  still, 

And  tastes  the  good  without  the  fall  to  ill; 

Where  only  merit  constant  pay  receives. 

Is  blest  in  what  it  takes  and  what  it  gives; 

The  joy  unequaled,  if  its  end  it  gain,  315 

And  if  it  lose,  attended  with  no  pain: 

Without  satiety,  though  e’er  so  blest. 

And  but  more  relished  as  the  more  distressed: 

The  broadest  mirth  unfeeling  Folly  wears. 

Less  pleasing  far  than  Virtue’s  very  tears:  . 320 

Good,  from  each  object,  from  each  place  acquired. 

Forever  exercised,  yet  never  tired; 


294.  Alluding  to  the  Duke  of  Marlborough. 

303.  Storied. — Painted  with  historical  subjects. 

305,  306.  View  them  not  only  in  the  blaze  of  their  power,  and  the  height  of 
their  prosperity,  but  look  at  the  labors  undergone  and  the  crimes  com- 
mitted in  obtaining  their  superiority;  and  also  at  the  miseries  that  are  sure 
to  follow. 

307,  308.  The  whole  amount  of  that  enormous  fame  is  a tale  that  blends,  etc, 

311.  It  is  the  only  point,  etc. 

314.  Where  only  merit  is  blest,  etc. 


62 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


Never  elated,  while  one  man’s  oppressed; 

Never  dejected,  while  another’s  blest; 

And  where  no  wants,  no  wishes  can  remain,  325 

Since  but  to  wish  more  virtue  is  to  gain. 

See  the  sole  bliss  Heaven  could  on  all  bestow  ! 

Which  who  but  feels  can  taste,  but  thinks  can  know; 

Yet  poor  with  fortune,  and  with  learning  blind. 

The  bad  must  miss,  the  good,  untaught  will  find;  330 

Slave  to  jio  sect,^  who  takes  no  private^  road. 

But  looks  through  nature  up  to  nature’s  God; 

Pursues  that  chain  which  links  the  immense  design. 

Joins  heaven  and  earth,  and  mortal  and  divine; 

Sees  that  no  being  any  bliss  can  know,  335 

But  touches  some  above  and  some  below; 

Learns  from  this  union  of  the  rising  whole. 

The  first,  last  purpose  of  the  human  soul; 

And  knows  where  faith,  law,  morals,  all  began. 

All  end, — in  love  of  God  and  love  of  man.  340 

For  him  alone,  hope  leads  from  goal  to  goal, 

And  opens  still,  and  opens  on  his  soul; 

Till  lengthened  on  to  faith,  and  unconfined. 

It  pours  the  bliss  that  fills  up  all  the  mind. 

He  sees  why  Natim  plants  in  man  alone,  345 

Hope  of  known  bliss,  and  faith  in  bliss  unknown: 

(Nature,  whose  dictates  to  no  other  kind 

Are  given  in  vain,  but  what  they  seek  they  find;) 

Wise  is  her  present:  she  connects  in  this 


325.  And  where  no  wants  are,  no  wishes  can  remain. 

326.  To  wish  more  virtue  is  the  subject  of  the  verb  is,  and  to  gain  supplies 
a nominative  after  it. 

328.  Which  he  who  but  feels  can  taste,  which  he  who  but  thinks  can  know. 

331.  He  is  a slave  to  no  sect,  who  takes  no  private  road. 

333,  334.  Who  pursues  that  chain  which  links  the  immense  design — which 
joins,  etc. 

336.  Except  a bliss  which  touches  some  things  (or  perhaps  beings)  above 
and  some  below. 

337.  He  is  a slave  to  no  sect,  who  learns,  etc. 

347.  Nature  is  in  apposition  with  nature  in  the  345th  line. 

349.  Wise  is  her  present,  i.e.,  her  gift. 


ESSAY  ON  MAN. 


63 


His  greatest  virtue  with  his  greatest  bliss; 

At  once  his  own  bright  prospect  to  be  blest, 

And  strongest  motive  to  assist  the  rest.  \ 

Self-love,  tlms  push^  to  soci^Jbo  divine,  \ 
Gives  thee  to  make  thy  neighbor’s  blessing  thiie| 

Is  this  to(^little  for  the  boundless  heart  ? \ [ i 

Extend  it,  let  thy  enemies  have  part: 

Grasp  the  whole  worlds  of  reason,  life,  and  seiise,' 
In  one  close  system  of  benevolence:  ; 

Happier  as  kinder,  in  whate’er  degree,  ^ 

And  height  of  bliss  but  height  of  charity.  j 

God  loves  from  whole  to  parts:  but  human  soub 
Must  rise  from  individual  to  the  whole. 

Self-love  but  serves  the  virtuous  mind  to  wake, 

As  the  small  pebble  stirs  the  peaceful  lake; 

The  center  moved,  a circle  straight  succeeds. 
Another  still,  and  still  another  spreads; 

Friend,  parent,  neighbor,  first  it  will  embrace; 

His  country  next;  and  next  all  human  race; 

Wide  and  more  wide,  the  o’erfio wings  of  the  mind 
Take  every  creature  in,  of  every  kind; 

Earth  smiles  around,  with  boundless  bounty  blest. 
And  Heaven  beholds  its  image  in  his  breast. 

Come,  then,  my  friend  ! my  genius  ! come  along, 
0 master  of  the  poet  and  the  song  ! 

And,  while  the  muse  now  stoops  or  now  ascends, 

To  man’s  low  passions  or  their  glorious  ends. 


350 


355 


360 


365 


370 


375 


351.  It  (i.e.,  her  present,  referring  to  hope  and  faith)  is  his  own  brij^ht 
prospect  to  be  blest.  To  be  blest  here  supplies  the  place  of  the  gerundial,  or 
substantive  phrase,  of  being  blest. 

359.  Be  thou  happier  as  thou  art  kinder,  or  thou  wilt  be  happier  as  thou 
art  kinder,  in  whatever  degree.  Whatever  is  an  indefinite  pronoun  agreeing 
with  degree. 

365.  The  center  being  moved,  etc.  • 

^ 368.  It  will  embrace  his  country  next,  etc. 

369,  370.  The  overflowings  of  the  mind  take  in  every  creature,  etc. 

375,  376.  We  frequently  meet  with  instances  in  Pope  and  also  in  other  writ- 
ers, where  two  or  more  verbs  and  prepositions  are  used,  having  an  alternate 
relation:  thus,  And  while  the  muse  now  stoops  to  man’s  low  passions,  or 
ascends  to  their  glorious  ends. 


64 


ESSAY  OK  MAN. 


380 

385 

390 


Teach  me,  like  thee,  in  various  nature  wise, 

To  fall  with  dignity,  with  temper  rise; 

Foned  by  thy  converse,  happily  to  steer 
From  grave  to  gay,  from  lively  to  severe: 

Correct  with  spirit,  eloquent  with  ease, 

Intent  to  reason,  or  polite  to  please. 

Oh  ! vrhile  along  the  stream  of  time  thy  name 
Expanded  flies,  and  gathers  all  its  fame. 

Say,  shall  my  little  bark  attendant  sail. 

Pursue  the  triumph,  and  partake  the  gale  ? 

When  statesmen,  heroes,  kings,  in  dust  repose. 

Whose  sons  shall  blush  their  fathers  were  thy  foes, 

Shall  then  this  verse  to  future  age  pretend 
Thou  wert  my  guide,  philosopher,  and  friend  ? 

That,  urged  by  thee,  I turned  the  tuneful  art 
From  sounds  to  things,  from  fancy  to  the  hearty 
/ For  Wit's  false  mirror  held  up  Nature’s  light; 

//  Showed  erring  pride,  whatever  is,  is  right; 

/ 2.That  reason,  passion,  answer  one  great  aim; 

1 *5  That  true  self-love  and  social  are  the  same; 

\ i^That  virtue  only  makes  our  bliss  below; 

And  all  our  knowledge  is,  ourselves  to  know. 

377,  378.  Teach  me.  like  thee  (who  art),  wise  in  various  natlire,  to  fall. 

379.  Perhaps  it  may  be  proper  here  to  change  tlie  mood  from  the  impera- 
tive used  in  the  preceding  lines  to  the  potential.  May  I be  formed  by  thy 
converse,  etc. 

381,  382.  May  I be  correct  with  spirit— may  I be  eloquent  with  ease— may  1 
be  intent  to  i-eason  or  polite  to  please. 

389.  Pretend.— To  stretch  out  before  one,  Latin  pre.  before,  tendo,  to 
stretch 

390.  That  thou  wert,  etc. 

393,  394.  That  instead  of  wit’s  false  mirror,  I held  up  nature’s  light.  That 
I show’d  to  erring  pride,  that  whatever  is,  is  right. 

391.  Whatever  is,  is  right.— This  sentence  occurs  three  times  in  these 
Epistles,  viz.,  in  the  last  line  of  Epistle  I.,  and  in  the  145th  and  394th  of  Epis- 
tle IV.  A misunderstanding  of  the  author’s  plan,  and  the  general  scope  of 
his  reasoning,  has  not  unfrequently  caused  his  supposed  sentiments  to  be 
severely  reprobated,  and  himself  to  be  harshly  censured  for  scattering  error 
in  the  way  of  those  who,  by  a lack  of  expei  ience,  might  eagerly  embrace  it 
for  truth.  If  this  were  spoken  of  man,  in  reference  to  his  Maker,  it  would 
most  assuredly  deserve  all  the  reprobation  which  the  good  and  virtuous 
could  bestow  lipon  it;  but  a little  attention  to  the  plan  of  the  work  will  show 
that  it  is  to  be  applied  altogether  to  the  dealings  of  God  with  man.  After 
staking  out  his  ground,  in  the  first  section  of  the  first  Epistle,  he  avows  it  as 
his  sole  object,  “ To  vindicate  the  ways  of  God  to  man.” 

398.  That  to  know  ourselves  is  all  our  knowledge. 


-395 


i 


